


Memories of Long Forgotten

by Rycalla



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: Bullying, Castration, Child Abandonment, Cunnilingus, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Female Friendship, Female Homosexuality, Loss of Virginity, Menstruation, Mental Breakdown, Miscarriage, Multiple Partners, Murder, Non-Consensual Oral Sex, Original Character(s), Orphans, Racism, Teen Pregnancy, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 05:39:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 26,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2217792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rycalla/pseuds/Rycalla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two orphan girls living in a village and what happens to them. The story of Fang and Vanille and Oerba. Has an enormous amount of OCs. Fang/Vanille (friendship) Fang/OC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Final Fantasy XIII is owned by Square Enix  
Oerba Yun Mattiya rarely had a chance to sleep. She had four young children, and she hunted for her family ever since her husband, Huntmaster Yun Tiber, had been badly wounded saving their young daughter Fang from a King Behemoth the girl had stupidly thought she could take out even at her young age. Today, however, some of the hunters had taken the kids out with them to train, so Mattiya could rest. Or so she thought…  
The instant Mattiya got comfortable Fang jumped on her chest. “Mom! Mom! Daddy says ya have to get up NOW! They found the Dias, ya know, Rage n’ Maryanne? It’s gross…MOM! Are ya still alive?” the girl cried.  
Mattiya opened one eye. “Fang, ya were supposed to be out learnin’ to hunt with yer father and Dia Horn, what the Hell are ya doin’ now? Ya better not be playin’ hooky ‘gain,” she said, still partially asleep.  
“Mo-om, Daddy said I had to find ya! It’s really bad. Dia Maryanne had her throat cut. Tay Davin thinks it’s funny, but it’s not. It’s gross,” Fang exclaimed.  
“A four-year-old is lecturin’ me, I must be still dreamin’,” Mattiya said, curling up on her other side and trying to go back to sleep. And then she woke up hard realizing what she had heard. “Oh my Goddess! Fang, tell yer father I’ll be right there!” she cried as she got up and started getting dressed at record speed.  
Fang followed her mother to the main hall, where the two Dias were laid out on the floor. Oerba Dia Horn held his little niece Vanille, horrified at what he was seeing. Vanille pulled at his hair, but all he could think about was her parents dead on the floor. Not only was Dia Maryanne’s throat cut, but her chest had been cut in two, her insides were visible.  
“We found them out in the field. It’s almost ritualistic. I’d blame Cocoon idjits if it wasn’t the way they were cut,” Yun Chloe said.  
“It’s got to be Cocoon. Who else would kill Dias for no reason?” Mattiya asked, Fang holding onto her leg.  
“Tays,” Horn said.  
“Ya can’t just blame the Tays just ‘cause ya don’t like us!” Oerba Tay Halley yelled.  
“Look at the cuts on Maryanne! That’s how Tay’s kill animals!” Horn shot back.  
Yun Tiber stepped forward. “Horn, Halley, that’s enough. This is enough of a tragedy, losin’ two well-liked Dias, two liked members of their tribe. Parents of nine beautiful children, includin’ a girl who went on to become a member of the Oerba honour guard, one good hunter n’ one talented artisan. We will find out who did this, and we will avenge our Dia friends. Mattiya, come with me. Horn? Take the little ones out of here. The honour guard and huntmasters have to figure out who did this, and I would prefer if the children were out of the way,” he said.  
“We’re need a Three-Tailed hound. They could track the scent of our killer,” Dia Lavender of the honour guard said. “I’m not gonna rest ‘til I find out who killed my parents, n’ when I do, I wanna execute ‘em myself!”  
“We know yer angry, Lavender, but we don’t execute anyone,” Mattiya said. Fang was looking for an opening to do something.  
“Maybe ya should!” The young woman yelled, stomping off.  
“If someone is gonna be killin’ Dias, we need protection,” Horn said, hugging Vanille. “I’m not lettin’ any more of my family get hurt. I already lost my brother, I’m not losin’ his kids.”  
“Fang, we’re gonna go huntin’ okay? Lavender needs to show yer father where the bodies were found, and then me n’ the pack are gonna find who did it. Ya need to stay here with Mister Horn, are we clear? N’ I don’t wanna hear any more stories ‘bout ya causin’ trouble,” Mattiya said,  
“But I’m gonna be a hunter! Why can’t I come?” Fang asked.  
“‘Cause It’s bad ‘nuff we’re bringin’ Lavender,” Halley remarked.  
Yun Chloe came forward. “Mattie, how can ya trust Horn? Yer a Yun, n’ ya know I’m not a hunter anymore. As for Fang, ya know she doesn’t understand any more than the fact that yer not gonna be here. If ya left her with me, she could play with Polla,” she snapped. Yun Polla was her son, and he was only a few months older than Fang. Chloe used to be a hunter, but she had accidentally shot and killed her husband during a hunt.  
“Fang doesn’t like the other kids. Do ya remember what she did to the Gai’ama boy who called her a ‘Yunnie’, just ‘cause we consider that a slur?” Mattiya asked.  
“The Gai’amas can be inconsiderate, but tyin’ Rusty to a chair was kind of over the line. Polla is tough though! He can handle anythin’ Fang can do!” Chloe insisted.  
“None of the kids can take Fang. I can barely control her.”  
Fang stared at Polla and he stared at her. It was clear they didn’t like each other. Fang never got along with the other kids, and particularly not the boys. She was already stronger than most of them, even the Tay boys, and Tays were known to be physically stronger than most Yuns (though Yuns were more agile and better hunters). She liked to bully some of the boys sometimes, and almost all of the children were afraid of her, even if she had so far left girls alone.  
Horn managed to pry Fang off Mattiya’s leg, even though the girl tried to bite him and almost made him drop Vanille. “C’mon kid. I have to rein in the rest of my nieces n’ nephews n’ that’s gonna take all night. Lousy Maryanne havin’ nine kids…I always hated her. My brother deserved better. Why the hell are ya givin’ me that look? Ya better not be plannin’ anythin’,” he said, picking up Fang and trying to hold both her and Vanille.  
Mattiya rolled her eyes and gathered her things. So much for her nice peaceful nap.


	2. Chapter 2

Three years later  
Fang and Vanille became fast friends, and nobody knew why. Fang certainly didn’t like the other kids, and especially not Dia kids. Maybe she felt sorry for the girl because of the brutal way her parents had been murdered, even though Fang didn’t like Lavender or any of Vanille’s other siblings (she had two sisters named Sugar and Starr who were twins, and Fang despised the two of them).   
Vanille ran into the house, finding Fang sulking, looking at the mirror. “Look at what I found, Fang! Hey, what’re you lookin’ at? Are you jealous of Sugar again?” the Dia girl said, holding a flower.  
“Yer sisters are all prettier than me, but that’s not what I’m lookin’ at. Mom said I look like Daddy, n’ I’m tryin’ to see it,” Fang said.  
“I found a special flower. Uncle Horn said this kind are rare. I brought it for you,” Vanille said.   
“What did I say ‘bout bringin’ me flowers? The older kids were makin’ fun of me. I don’t know what a lesbian is, but Sugar and Starr were callin’ me one! I asked Mom what it means, but she said she’ll tell me when I’m older!” Fang hissed.  
“Uncle Horn says if I ever repeat the stuff Sugar says, he’ll paddle me good, so it can’t be nice,” Vanille said.  
“I’ve got to go look at my dad. Maybe then I’ll see how I look like him. Ya wanna come?”  
“Uncle Horn wanted me to stay with him today, I just had to give you your flower.”  
“Ya love yer uncle, I think that’s sweet.”  
“Aw, look Starr! The little lesbians are bein’ so cute! They’re gonna be so horrible when they grow up, but right now, I can’t take my eyes off them!” Sugar said as she and Starr walked into the house.  
“I heard her mother is tryin’ to set her up with someone so she has to get married,” Starr said.  
“At least my siblings aren’t complete bitches!” Fang yelled, readying to smash Sugar’s face in. She had two brothers and two sisters.  
“Fang, c’mon. She’s not worth it. Let’s just go find Uncle Horn. Remember what happened last time you hit Sugar. She’s bigger and older than us, and she has friends,” Vanille pleaded.  
“Yeah, Yunnie. Our little sister is smart, why doncha listen to her? It would save us a lot of time,” Sugar said.  
“I’m sorry, Vanille. I need to crush these little racists!” Fang cried, lunging at Sugar.  
“Fang! Stop right there!” Yelled Yun Tiber as he came into the house. Sugar grinned and walked off. “What do ya think ya were doin’?”  
“But Daddy! Sugar called me a Yunnie, n’ she calls me n’ Vanille lesbians, whatever that means. She was beggin’ for me to beat her!” Fang exclaimed.  
“Yer not beatin’ anyone, yer comin’ with me. I s’pose I’ll have to keep ya outta trouble while yer mother is out with the pack. As for Sugar, I’ll have a conversation with Horn ‘bout what she’s been sayin’. He’ll put a stop to it,” Tiber said.  
“Can Vanille come too?”   
“Meh, why not?”  
Tiber took the girls outside. Fang cut a branch from a big tree and went back to her father. “Daddy, can I borrow yer knife? I’m gonna sharpen this, then I’ll have a spear, just like ya!” she said happily.  
“There’s more to a huntin’ weapon than just a sharp stick. Especially for a Yun. We’re ‘bout both finesse and strength. It has to look good, even covered in blood, n’ not be too heavy, but it’s also got to be effective. My spear was a mastercraft, made by a great Gai’ama blacksmith. If nothin’ else, they know weapons. I can teach ya how to use it. If I can’t hunt anymore, somebody should make use of it,” Tiber said.  
“I’m sorry,” Fang said. It was her fault her father got injured. When she was small, she had been attacked by a King Behemoth, and her father had saved her. They were both injured, but he had been hurt worse. It had ripped his leg off, but he managed to get Fang away. She had a badly scratched arm, but at least she had kept it.  
“Fang, I don’t blame ya. Ya were just little, n’ yer my daughter. I’ll always protect ya,” Tiber said, hugging Fang. Vanille looked away. She couldn’t remember her parents, seeing her best friend with her father was just too much.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Mattiya was busy skinning a wolf the pack had taken down. For some reason, Yun Chloe had insisted upon following them out to the hunting grounds, even though she had given up hunting when she had killed her husband. She was watching Mattiya clean the kill, remembering how she used to do the same.  
“Mattie, can I talk to ya?” Chloe asked. “There is a good reason I came out here with the huntin’ pack today.”  
“Yeah, I been wonderin’ ‘bout that myself,” Mattiya said.  
“It’s Fang. I think she’s gettin’ too close to that Dia girl. I know ya want her to get married, have a family, so why don’t we arrange her to marry Polla? I spoke to the huntmaster, and he said it’s a good idea but I’d hafta ask ya,” Chloe said.   
Mattiya sheathed her knife. “Arranged marriage? I’m not so sure. I don’t think Fang would go for that, n’ I don’t want her to be unhappy. We can’t force her to love someone, n’ if she does love the Dia girl, that doesn’t really bother me. I have other children, one of them could marry Polla,” she said.  
“He likes Fang. N’ it’s not like there’s an abundance of Yun kids his age, Fang’s perfect for him. He’s the only boy she doesn’t beat the hell outta, so I think she might even like him,” Chloe said with a sly grin.  
“Alright, I’ll talk to Fang ‘bout this. Ya need to talk to yer son too.”  
“Oh, that’s already been taken care of, he’s the one who thought of it. He loves Fang, even when she’s bein’ a brat.”  
Mattiya slung the wolf skin over her shoulder. One of the other hunters would claim the carcass for food, but she had wanted the hide. “I’ve got to get back home. I’ve got to get an artisan to make a blanket for Flame. He’s been complainin’ ‘bout bein’ cold at night lately n’ I promised him I’d get him a nice monster hide,” she said.


	3. Chapter 3

Tiber showed Fang how to hold his spear, and helped guide her hand. He knew Mattiya would be happy if Fang became a hunter, meaning someone else could bring home food and Mattiya could become an artisan again like she had been before Tiber’s injury.  
A trio of Tays watched Tiber train his daughter, and they were jealous. One of them was the sister of the ringleader of the Tay killing of Vanille’s parents (as everyone figured, it had been a group of them.) and she didn’t think her brother deserved to get banished from Oerba and the lands surrounding it for killing a pair of what the Tay clan saw as slaves. If slaves wouldn’t listen to their masters, they deserved to be made examples of. If the Yuns weren’t so fond of the Dias for whatever reason, the Tays knew they’d own them.  
The Tays knew they had to do something. Tiber was pretty well alone, and that made him a perfect target. Without a huntmaster, the Yun clan would fall into disarray until a new one was named, and that would be a perfect time to take control of the clans.  
Vanille sat on the sidelines, watching and wishing. She wanted to hunt too, but she didn’t know what kind of weapon would suit her. She wasn’t as strong as a Yun, none of the Dias were and that was why some members of Clan Tay thought Dias were meant as nothing but expendable slaves. The Gai’amas and Yuns were too strong or too useful to enslave, but Dias were predominantly artisans and there were a lot of them. There were too few members of the minor clans to take as slaves, so Dias were the perfect targets. Vanille feared the Tays, but she didn’t see the three not two hundred feet from her. She was too focused on Fang and Tiber.  
“Doncha wanna learn how to use a spear too, Vanille?” Tiber asked. He was fond of the girl because she was the only one who liked Fang, plus he felt bad for her losing her parents. He had always had a fondness for Clan Dia. He himself was a close friend with Horn and Honour Guard Lavender.  
“I was s’posed to find Uncle Horn. He wanted me to find him after I gave Fang the flower, but here I am not listenin’ again. Gonna get in trouble,” Vanille said.  
“No, yer not. Yer with me, n’ I’m a huntmaster. So don’t worry Vanille, yer uncle won’t mind. Horn n’ me, we’re buddies,” Tiber said. “N’ anyway, he’s probably off huntin’ or somethin’.”  
“No, he told me to find him. I should,” Vanille said.  
“I told ya, yer not gettin’ in trouble. Why doncha learn how to hunt with Fang?”   
“So wise, Yun Tiber, n’ yet so foolish,” One of the Tays said as they approached, weapons drawn.  
Tiber got in front of Fang, protectively. “I have no quarrel with ya, Tays. Leave us in peace,” he said.  
“My brother had done nothin’ to ya personally either, yet ya banished him. That’s a death sentence, ya bastard! He probably got killed by beasts!” The Tay girl yelled.  
Fang held the spear so hard her knuckles were white and tried to advance on the Tays, but Tiber blocked her. “Fang, take Vanille and get her outta here. Go find the Honour Guard,” Tiber hissed, snatching his spear from his daughter.  
“No Daddy. I wanna help,” Fang said.  
“FANG! Ya listen to me! Go get the Honour Guard! I’m not gonna sit here n’ watch ya get killed ‘cause ya won’t listen!”  
“C’mon Fangy, let’s go! These are Tays!” Vanille cried. She and Fang fled. She went to find the Honour Guard, but Fang only retreated to a safe distance to watch.  
“My brother did nothin’ to ya, or any member of yer clan!” The Tay girl yelled again.  
“He and his friends killed two Dias, he deserved much worse. I even stopped Lady Lavender from killin’ him herself,” Tiber said.  
“Dias are slaves, Yunnie. Rage didn’t listen to my brother, so he had to die. If his wife hadn’t tried to protect him, he wouldn’t have had to hack into her.”  
“Dias are not slaves!” Tiber yelled, sweeping his lance at the Tays, trying to make them back off. They just took it as an attack and a good excuse to fight back.  
Even having one real leg, Tiber tried to fight. He kept trying to repel the Tays, not hurt them, even though they may have deserved it. The Tay girl led the attack, striking again and again with a small blade while one of the males took Tiber’s spear and turning it on him. Tays had always had been stronger than Yuns, and they knew it. There was no chance. It was all over within minutes.   
The honour guard came just as soon as Vanille could get them, but it was too late. The Tays had fled after they had killed Tiber. Fang went to the Yun Honour Guard, her cousin Sidney, and started sobbing uncontrollably.   
“How could anyone had done this? Tiber never hurt anyone,” Lavender said, looking the wounds over.  
“It was Tays, just like before,” Vanille said. “Two men and a girl not much older than Sugar.”  
“Tays think they have a reason to kill Dias, but why would they attack a Yun unprovoked, much less the huntmaster?” Gai’ama Polar asked.  
“He was alone, n’ those monsters saw their opportunity,” Fang growled.  
“But Tays aren’t like that,” Tay Wings said.  
“Maybe yer not, but yer differ’nt!” Lavender snapped. “Where did they go? My blades have thirsted for Tay blood for years, n’ Tiber stopped me before! Now he’s gone for that foolishness! I will slay his killers!”   
“They ran, but the girl said her brother killed Dia Rage and Maryanne,” Fang said. Lavender slammed her fist into a tree in sheer blinding rage.  
“Goldie…” Wings muttered. “We always were worried ‘bout her mentality after Rob got banished,”  
“Yeah? Well, I’m gonna kill ‘er, so ya don’t hafta worry ‘bout her mentality for much longer!” Lavender raged.  
“That’s gonna be you in ten years,” Vanille whispered to Fang.  
“Hey, I’m with her! Those Tays deserve to die! They had no reason to murder my father! Do ya know what’s gonna happen to my mother? What’s gonna happen to me?” Fang cried.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Mattiya returned to find the Honour Guard and a number of the adults gawking at something. Lavender was being held by Horn and his wife Amber, fighting furiously to get away. She was yelling something about Tays.  
“I’m gonna go see what’s goin’ on, Mattie. There’s Flame, with Fang. Ya can go give him his nice wolf skin now,” Chloe said.  
“No. This can’t be good. Where’s Tiber? If somethin’ major happened, the huntmaster has to be involved. I see Tay Alexis, I see Gai’ama Moonsong, where is Tiber?” Mattiya wondered, trying to see what everyone was so upset about.


	4. Chapter 4

Mattiya ran to the where the most of the adults were standing, gawking. Chloe was right behind her, carrying the wolf pelt. She shoved her way through the crowd, knowing she was being rude, but also looking madly for Tiber. Her woman’s intuition told her something had happened to her husband, and she wouldn’t rest until she found out what.  
Horn reached out and grabbed Mattiya and tried to drag her away. Dias were not as strong as Yuns, but Horn still tried. “Yun Mattiya, ya need to come away from this scene. Ya won’t like what yer gonna see. I can’t let ya do this to yerself,” Horn pleaded.  
“Let me go Horn! I have to find Tiber!” The huntress screamed.  
Lavender had calmed down enough, or Horn would’ve never let her go. “Mattiya, there was an attack. It was three Tays. Vanille came and got us, be we couldn’t get out here soon enough. The Tays killed him,” she said sadly. Mattiya buried her face in her hands and sobbed even harder than everyone else. Horn took her into a big hug, and she kept on crying.  
“Poor Mattiya, just let it all out,” Horn said, holding the woman. Dia Amber gathered Tiber and Mattiya’s five children and brought them near their mother. Mattiya needed all the support she could get at a time like this. Chloe gave Flame his wolf pelt and Amber herded him over to Mattiya.   
“We’re gonna need a new huntmaster,” Sidney said.  
“Yun Mattiya, would ya be our huntmaster? It should be ya, Tiber was yer husband,” One of the other Yun hunters said.  
“No. I will never be worthy. I am not whole,” Mattiya managed to say. Fang wished she was old enough. Her father had told her many times she had the potential to be a great huntmistress someday. Leading the pack to glorious kills.  
“I will take the title,” Chloe said. All the Yuns looked at her. They never expected someone like her to take charge like that. She hadn’t even hunted since she had shot her husband, and there were a few other Yun hunters that would be a better choice than her. But nobody said anything against her.   
“We will discuss it amongst the rest of the clan, there is much to discuss otherwise,” Yun Kiya, one of the oldest living hunters (not to mention she was also Mattiya’s mother), said.  
Then Chloe brought Polla forward. “Speakin’ of discussions! Fang, I am pleased to tell ya yer mother n’ I decided it would be best for the clan if ya marry my son once ya come of age,”  
Fang was horrified. She didn’t want to think about getting married, she was a kid! She knew it wasn’t going to happen for years, but during that time she might find someone she liked better. “It’s not right! Ya can’t force me to love him!” the girl yelled.  
“I never agreed to it,” Mattiya said in a bored voice. She was dead on the inside, and nobody knew if she’d ever recover.  
“Mattie, ya never said ya were against it,” Chloe insisted.  
“I don’t know what I’m for or against anymore.”  
Vanille tried to comfort Fang, but Polla knocked her out of the way and onto her rear and hugged his new fiancée. Fang was incredibly furious. First she had to watch her father get killed, and then she was being forced into an engagement to a boy she had no real feelings for, and to top it all off, he treated Vanille badly!  
“I’m not gonna marry ya! Go apologize to Vanille!” Fang screamed.  
“I’m not gonna apologize to yer girlfriend. She’s an extra wheel on our train, n’ I don’t like her. She’s a Dia, n’ they’re just a buncha bleedin’ hearts. I don’t know why yer father was so supportive of ‘em. I have a theory he was havin’ an affair with one,” Polla said.  
“My father never cheated!” Fang roared. Polla was making her angrier and angrier. If he said one more negative thing about Vanille or her family, she decided she wouldn’t be responsible for what she’d do to him.  
“Sugar is right. Ya are a lesbian. Well, that’s a shame. We’re still gettin’ married, n’ we’re gonna have kids, n’ yer never gonna talk to yer little friend again!”  
That did it. Fang launched herself at Polla, fists clenched, and commenced beating the hell out of him until Horn pulled her off and held her. Of course, this happened often, with Fang being the way she was.  
“Lucky boy. A Dia saved ya, can ya still treat them badly?” Fang asked.  
“If they weren’t such bleedin’ hearts, they’d let us fight,” Polla said.  
“Ya can find a problem with anythin’! I’m startin’ to really hate yer guts!”  
“Bring it on, Fang! I can take ya! Yer not as tough as ya act!”  
“Polla, calm yerself. N’ go apologize to Horn’s niece.” Chloe said. The boy listened to his mother, no matter how much he liked badmouthing Dias.  
“Sorry I knocked ya over, ya little lesbian,” Polla said before he ran of laughing.  
“If my granddaughter gonna marry him, he’s got to stop actin’ that way,” Kiya said.  
“Hey, even I think Fang is a little bit too attached to that Dia girl,” Chloe said.  
“So what? They’re good friends, and Fang would never let her get hurt. They both need each other, especially with Fang losin’ her parents n’ all. I mean, Mattiya is still alive, but she’s never gonna be the same. She might as well not be there. I don’t know if she even recognizes her children at this point. Look at her!” Horn exclaimed. Mattiya was incoherent and swaying, looking like she might fall over.  
“I’m gonna take her home,” Kiya said, helping Mattiya walk off.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Fang and Vanille sat by the water. Vanille had her feet in because it felt good, and Fang was eating an apple.  
“Are you certain you’re gonna be alright? I mean, you watched your dad die, your mother went insane, and then a cousin of yours arranged you to marry her son. Nobody can deal with all that at once,” Vanille said, kicking the water happily.  
“Leave me alone, Dia! I’ll be fine when ya stop splashin’ me!” Fang snapped. Vanille’s face fell. Fang had never yelled at her before. The other girls, sure, but never her. She was changed.  
Fang continued to eat, but Vanille was no longer happy. She just sat there, worrying she had lost her best friend. She had already lost so much, she didn’t know what she’d do if she didn’t have Fang. She had older siblings, but none of them wanted to play with her. The closest to her age was a boy, and she didn’t share his interests.


	5. Chapter 5

Mattiya just got worse and worse as days went on. She was like a zombie, only eating sometimes and laying down most of the day, hugging Tiber’s spear to her. She rarely spoke, and she hardly acknowledged anyone. Fang knew the only reason she herself was still alive was because of the community, since her mother didn’t even recognize her anymore.  
As for Vanille, she was still disturbed over how Fang had yelled at her. The girl hadn’t even apologized, even when Vanille had told her what she had just said. Fang hadn’t so far yelled at her again, but Vanille still wanted to be assured Fang was still her friend. When she saw her sister moping around the house, Sugar sarcastically asked if Vanille and Fang had had a lover’s quarrel, and Vanille nearly confided in her.  
Vanille needed something to do. Something that she hoped would repair her relationship with Fang, and maybe even be good enough to shut Sugar up for good. She knew there was only one thing: she had to become a hunter. She had to kill and carve up cute animals for a living just to retain her deep friendship, and she didn’t like the thought but she liked the idea of losing Fang even less.  
“Uncle Horn?” Vanille asked one morning, prodding her uncle until he woke up.  
“Vanille, go back to bed. I’ll get yer Aunt Amber to sew up yer stuffed chocobo later,” Horn muttered.  
“I know that, but I want somethin’ else. Can you teach me to be a hunter like you?”   
That woke Horn up. “Oerba Dia Vanille, I’m gonna tell ya this once. Yer not meant to be a hunter. They have a certain…thing…’bout them. I don’t know what it is, but ya don’t have it. I can’t teach ya. Ya need to be a teacher, or an artisan,” he said.  
“But I have to be a hunter! Fang yelled at me, and I’m worried she won’t be my friend anymore if I don’t become a hunter like her! Please teach me!” Vanille pleaded on her knees.  
“Vanille, get up n’ go play somewhere. Fang loves ya. She’s yer best friend and she’s not gonna leave ya, She’s just goin’ through some things right now, with her father bein’ killed and her mother goin’ crazy. She’ll get better, I promise ya. Fang is tough, she’ll make it through n’ she’ll need ya when she does,” Horn said. Vanille stood up and skipped off, feeling slightly better.  
“Horn, don’t be tellin’ her she can’t be a hunter. Anyone can be a hunter if they’re trained well ‘nuff,” Amber said, waking up.  
“Vanille, a hunter? No. I’m not gonna see her end up like her parents. Her mother was a Tay originally, ya know. She just adopted the Dia name, n’ that’s why I never could stand her. Ya know how Tays treat us! And if Tays killed one of their own, they won’t care if Vanille is part Tay, they’ll take her down just as read’ly! I am not gonna let her get killed!” Horn said.  
“Just ‘cause yer brother and his pretty wife were killed while huntin’ doesn’t mean the Tays will do anythin’ to Vanille. The Tays who killed her parents were a small group, they’re not ‘round anymore. N’ the Tays that killed Tiber got caught by their own honour guard and put away. The Tays aren’t all bad. The ones who treat us like slaves are a minority, and ‘sides, the Gai’amas and the Yuns watch over us. Vanille herself has Fang, and Fang is a Yun. Even Kerros Highlynn said she’d watch the Tays more carefully since Tiber was killed,” Amber assured him.  
“Can’t trust a Kerros. May just be tryin’ to get somethin’ outta ya. There’s not too many of them left, they fell easily when someone wanted their land.”  
“But never underestimate a Yun.”  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Chloe and Polla were trying to help Mattiya, but they didn’t even know if she knew who they were anymore. They had to practically hand-feed her, she was so bad. Even the healers couldn’t help her, and they hadn’t sugar-coated the fact that it was likely she was never going to fully recover. Maybe she’d regain some ability, but she’d never hunt again. Her mind and soul were deeply damaged, and those kinds of injuries sometimes never healed.  
“I’m gonna teach Fang to hunt. Her father was doin’ that for a while, he was probably doin’ it when he got killed,” Chloe said. The Yuns hadn’t officially accepted her as the huntmistress, but she was determined she’d make them proud once she was.  
“Ya don’t hunt anymore Mom, yer still guilty ya shot dad, even though it was an accident. Fang and I can learn to hunt together soon, with the rest of the kids, even though if we took that class we have to learn from that old fool Horn, n’ then I can be the huntmaster and Fang will be my wife. N’ then I can convince her the little Dia girl is no good and I won’t have to see my girl playin’ with her anymore,” Polla said.  
“Don’t be so hard on the Dias. They may not be as strong or as skilled as we are, n’ they constantly require protection, but they’re surprisingly brilliant. Dias raise the Three-Tailed hounds we use for huntin’ and they’re very good at it. Horn himself even has a little bit of mechanical skill we’ve never seen the likes of before. Almost like what we’ve heard Cocoon has. And Dias have big hearts, they’re always helpin’ us,” Chloe said.  
“Big, bleedin’ hearts! N’ ineffective healin’ spells! They coulda saved Dad, but their spells didn’t work fast ‘nuff!”  
“That wasn’t the Dias fault, that was my fault! I’m the bitch who shot him with that bloomin’ bolt!”  
“By accident! The Dias knew damn well their spells were no good! Shoulda used a potion or somethin’! Woundin’ bolts, bled out…” Mattiya grabbed onto him and held him. “Mattiya, please stop tryin’ to hug me!”  
“Tiber…I miss Tiber…” Mattiya moaned. “Comfort me.”  
“Mom, get her off me. She may only have half a brain left, but she’s really strong!” Polla cried, Mattiya hanging onto him.  
Fang sat in the corner. “Of course she’s strong, Polla. My mom is a Yun too, even if she’s destroyed. Goddess, how could this happen to us? Missus Chloe, is my mother gonna die?” She asked.  
“Of course not, Fang…she’s just gonna need help for a long time. She had a mental breakdown, and sometimes those don’t fully heal. Mattiya is strong, but she suffered a terrible loss, and her heart and soul are hurt. Those are the wounds that are hardest to heal,” Chloe said.  
“I want my mom back,” Fang said.  
“We’ve been tryin’ what we can, but it’s a long process, n’ I don’t know if she’ll ever really come back to us.”  
“Fang, come over here and pry yer mother off me, please!” Polla cried. Mattiya was nuzzling him at this point.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dad is a doctor, and he says neither rats nor rabbits carry rabies, but I'm writing seven-year-olds so I only need to know what a child would think.  
> Yeah, Vanille killed a bear...

Fang kept being bothered by Polla, and it didn’t make her want to marry him any more than it had before. For one thing, he had it in for Vanille, for all Dias, for some irrational reason, and Fang did not like that. For another, he, like a lot of Yuns, liked the idea of an open marriage (except of course, if Fang wanted to sleep with a Dia), and Fang wasn’t sure that was such a good idea.  
Mattiya was not doing well at all. She was losing weight and muscle fast from not eating much and not going out to hunt nearly every day. Her family worried about her. Her children were hurting, seeing someone so strong fall apart like she had, and her parents kept trying to help her to no avail.  
Vanille kept trying to make Fang happy. She’d bring her pictures she had drawn in school, she’d try to play with her, and she’d invite her outside to see things. Nothing worked quite the way she had planned. Fang grew more and more distant with every attempt, and Vanille was getting upset. She just couldn’t lose the Yun girl as a friend. Fang would talk to her, but she was never quite how she had been while Tiber was alive.  
Polla decided he was gonna take Fang hunting today, despite the fact that they were just kids. “Hey Fang. Ditch the red-head and c’mon! We’re gonna go catch rabbits!” He said.  
“Anywhere yer takin’ me, Vanille can come too,” Fang said sharply.  
“No she can’t. Horn doesn’t want her huntin’. He’s too ‘fraid she’s gonna get eated or somethin’. We’re not bringin’ a five-year-old.”  
“We’re just goin’ after rabbits. If I get to go, Vanille can too.”  
“Ya turn every romantic gesture I make into an excuse to play with yer girlfriend! Maybe Sugar is right n’ I am wastin’ my time tryin’ to make ya like me. Ya obviously are a lesbian,” Polla said.  
“You know what that means?” Vanille asked.  
“Of course I know what it means, bleedin’ heart Dia brat. It’s when two girls want to get married. What kinda moron doesn’t know what a lesbian is, livin’ with Orela n’ Tia? That Gai’ama n’ that Tay are practically married already! They can’t wait until for their huntmasters’ approvals! I saw them together, Mom tries to convince me it was a bad dream, but I know what I saw. Well, I don’t know exactly what I saw ‘sides two girls naked and kissin’, but I know it was wrong,” Polla said.  
“I have never kissed Vanille n’ I don’t wanna marry her, ya fuckin’ bastard!” Fang roared.  
“Oerba Yun Fang, I never want to EVER hear either those words again!”  
Amber and Horn were standing nearby, only to hear that outburst from Fang. They obviously hadn’t heard what Polla had said. Amber was just looking her sternest and Horn was the one who had yelled at Fang.  
“Where did ya even learn those words? We don’t use them in this house!” Amber said.  
“Yeah ya do. I hear it all the time. Why’s it okay that Lavender can say it but I can’t?” Fang asked.  
“I’m gonna have a talk with Lavender ‘bout that. Yer never gonna hear it again outta her once I get through with her. She knows better. Hadn’t yer father ever taught ya there are certain words ya never get to say?” Horn asked.  
“Oh, he said them too. And lotsa other words I don’t know what they meant too,” Fang said.  
“I’m gonna hafta teach ya which words ya can’t say.”  
“Can we still go huntin’?” Polla asked.  
“Oh, alright. I’ll go huntin’ with ya, but we’re bringin’ Vanille no matter whatcha say,” Fang said.  
“No, yer not. Vanille is stayin’ here. She has class, she’s not gonna be a hunter n’ go and get herself killed like her parents,” Horn said.  
“I’m not gonna get killed, Uncle Horn! I could hunt!” Vanille protested.  
During the argument, none of them noticed Mattiya get up and leave the house. She had done this before, she still had enough of a mind to come back, so none of the other occupants paid much mind, and Chloe was out, probably drinking with the other huntmasters again like she had done the last two days. Mattiya’s soul was as dead as ever, but her mind was there more than it had been since Tiber was killed and she had a purpose.   
She was going to find out what happened to Tay Robert, and if he had somehow survived, she was going to kill him for Vanille’s parents and for Tiber. And then once she had done that she would die in peace and join Tiber in the afterlife. She knew her children would be in good hands with the other Yuns, and even with Horn and the other hunters, but she could no longer burden them, so with the last bit of her mind she devised one last glorious mission for the great Oerba Yun Mattiya.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Vanille and Horn had reached an agreement. She could go out hunting with Polla and Fang, but he had to go with her and make sure she wouldn’t be hurt. Polla, naturally, was outraged at the thought of not one but two Dias interfering with his date with Fang, especially Horn who would not allow anything lewd to go on. Polla and Fang were only seven and didn’t even understand the mechanics of sex, of course, but Horn still was going to watch them and make sure the boy didn’t touch the best friend of his youngest niece.  
“Watch them, Vanille. Make sure they don’t get hurt. Even if ya can’t hunt, ya can go along with hunters as a healer if yer good ‘nuff…I mean, if ya want to be a healer. Dias make very good healers. Yer Aunt Amber is a healer,” Horn said to his niece. He had given Vanille one of Amber’s weaker healing staves to practice curing the inevitable scrapes and bruises Fang and Polla would sustain.  
“What damage could a bunny do that could require a healer?” Vanille asked.  
“They can bite ya, n’ then ya might get rabies,” Fang said, taking her sharpened stick and stalking a small rabbit.  
“Rabbits don’t have rabies!” Polla countered.  
“Yeah they do! Yer thinkin’ of rats!” Fang yelled.  
“Neither of them can give ya rabies!”  
“Yes they can! Ya won’t believe it, then an animal will bite ya and ya’ll get rabies n’ ya’ll die!”   
“I’m smart. I’ll shoot an animal before it gets close ‘nuff to bite me. But ya just got a stick. An animal can bite ya n’ give ya rabies!”  
“How ‘bout I bite ya instead! My name is Fang after all!”  
“Uncle Horn, make them stop!” Vanille cried, holding her ears.  
“Polla, Fang, I don’t wanna hear another word ‘bout what can give ya rabies! If ya get bit, we can take ya to Amber n’ she can cast Esuna! Yer scarin’ Vanille!” Horn yelled. Fang stopped the argument, but Polla didn’t want to listen to a Dia.  
“I’d rather die from the rabies than get Esuna cast on me by a lousy Dia,” Polla said defiantly. “N’ I wouldn’t die anyway. Yuns have healers, n’ they can cast it so I don’t get rabies.”  
“Polla, I don’t want to talk ‘bout rabies anymore. We haven’t caught a single bunny,” Fang said.  
Vanille felt a chill go through her. She didn’t know what it was, but she felt there was something dangerous nearby. “Uncle Horn? Is there anythin’ out here really dangerous?” she asked.  
“The behemoths are elsewhere this time of year…but there’s often wolves. I’m more than a match for wolves though,” Horn said.  
“What ‘bout bears? Lavender says she saw a bear out here once.”  
“Vanille, I’ve lived here in Oerba my whole life, and I’ve hunted on these grounds for years. There are no bears ‘round here.”  
“Then what’s that behind Polla?!” Vanille cried.  
Horn got his weapon ready, and Fang hid behind him. Polla looked at their alarm and looked behind him to see a bear cub. And where there was a bear cub, there had to be a mother bear around somewhere. Despite himself, he ran and hid behind Horn too.  
“Don’t move. Mother bears are extremely protective of their cubs. If she thinks her cub is in danger, we’re gonna have to fight. I don’t know I can take on a bear alone. When we take down big animals like behemoths we have a pack helpin’. I want the three of ya to run n’ get the hunt pack, ya got me? With the pack, we can defend, but I can’t do it alone,” Horn said.  
“No, Uncle Horn. Fang can go for the pack. You’re gonna need me. I’m a healer,” Vanille said.  
“Absolutely not! Yer not a healer, yer a kid. N’ there’s no way in Hell I’m allowin’ ya to stay out here n’ risk yer life when we’re dealin’ with a bear! Do ya see that cub? Imagine how big the mother bear is if the cub is that big! She could eat ya up in one bite!” Horn said. “Now go!”  
Vanille still didn’t budge. She was not ready to see her beloved uncle get mauled by a bear. Polla and Fang ran to get the hunters, but Vanille stood at Horn’s side, even though she only had a weak healing staff.


	7. Chapter 7

The hunting pack stared at Vanille. Stared at what she had done. The mother bear had attacked, and she and Horn drove her off…and that’s when the father bear appeared and things got really bad. The hunter pack had arrived at that time and was fighting the huge bear when Vanille grabbed Polla’s crossbow, which the boy had dropped upon seeing the bear cub, and shot a bolt right into the animal’s head and killed it. The hunters could hardly believe a girl who had never touched a weapon like that could not only fire it, but slay a large beast with it.  
“Oerba Dia Vanille, what on Pulse is wrong with ya? That was extremely brave n’ all, but it was incredibly foolish! Ya coulda been killed! Why didn’t ya listen to Uncle Horn and come find us?!” Lavender scolded. Vanille was ashamed of herself, but she also knew she had successfully taken down an animal like a true hunter.  
“Firin’ that crossbow…how’d ya know how to use it?” Tay huntmaster Alexis asked.  
“I’ve seen Polla use it sometimes. I didn’t think, I just responded. I couldn’t let anythin’ hurt Uncle Horn,” Vanille said.  
“Now I have to disinfect my bow. Stupid Dia,” Polla growled.  
“Polla, I don’t care if yer mother wants us to get married, it’s never gonna happen. I really don’t like ya. In fact, I hate ya. Leave Vanille alone! She’s been through ‘nuff today!” Fang hissed.  
“It’s her own damn fault, she coulda stayed home. Instead she had to follow ya out here, and she brought her crazy uncle,” Polla said.  
“Polla, lay off!” Chloe yelled. Being a huntmistress she had to lead the pack, even if she didn’t like hunting anymore.  
“One of these days, Vanille, I will make ya regret the day ya touched my father’s crossbow,” Polla said under his breath.  
“By the way, while ya were out here, have any of ya seen Lady Mattiya? She left earlier today, and we haven’t seen her since. We didn’t think anythin’ of it at first ‘cause she always goes outside to get some air, but she’s been gone far too long, n’ we’ve searched the village, but there’ no sign of her,” Yun Fiera, one of Fang’s distant cousins, said.  
“My mother is missin’?!” Fang cried.  
“We’re the Honour Guard, we’ll run a search, but I fear the worst, with Mattiya’s mental breakdown and everythin’. If she’s still ‘live, the Honour Guard will bring her home,” Lavender said.  
“Whaddya mean ‘if she’s still ‘live’? Are ya tellin’ us Mattie could be dead?” Chloe asked.  
“She may have been attacked, or maybe she just went off to die ‘cause she missed Tiber too much. Ya did say she was bein’ awfully weirder than usual lately, even weird for her broken-down state. When our Three-Tails get old n’ broken down and can’t hunt anymore, they go off into the wild and die. Mattiya may have done that,” Lavender said.  
Fang ran back to the house in tears. Vanille could not stand to see her cry like that, Fang was the strongest person she knew, despite being just a kid. And she also didn’t want to see her friend sink into the same pit of unfathomable despair as Mattiya.  
Fang flung herself down on the bed and hugged a stuffed Moogle belonging to one of the other kids she herself had said was for babies. She couldn’t stop crying.  
“Fang! Don’t do this! Your mother wouldn’t want this for you!” Vanille cried.  
“What would ya know ‘bout my mother! Ya barely even knew her! N’ ya don’t have any idea what parents are like! Yers got killed when you were a baby, ya can’t remember them! I just lost my dad days ago! I can’t lose my mom like this!” Fang yelled. She knew it was cruel, but she didn’t care right now.  
“Fang, you’ve never treated me like this before! I’m your friend! We’re like sisters and I love you!” Vanille exclaimed, at the point of tears herself for what her friend had said.  
“Yer lucky ya don’t remember yer parents Vanille. Hell, I don’t even remember them that well. I remember yer father bred Three-Tail hounds, n’ yer mother sang, but not much else,” Fang said, softening just a little. But then she went right back to her angry state. “My parents were hunters! I was gonna be a hunter! Who the fuck is gonna teach me now?! Chloe won’t, and Polla just wants me to marry him. What the Hell kinda family is that for me?!”  
“I could talk to Uncle Horn. Maybe he’ll teach you,” Vanille said in a tiny voice.  
“Oh yeah, I can hear Polla bitchin’ ‘bout it now! Ya know how he feels ‘bout Dias. He’ll do somethin’ stupid, I know him too well,” Fang said. Then she actually smiled. “Maybe it will even make him decide to marry some other chick. He’s been drivin’ me insane ‘bout this. He wants to have kids right away, once we’re old ‘nuff. He doesn’t even know how one has kids!”  
“Do you?”  
“Not really. I’ve heard bits n’ pieces here n’ there. Somethin’ ‘bout birds n’ bees…” Fang said. She was actually trying to calm down. “Hey Vanille? I can always depend on ya. I’m sorry I yelled at ya. I love ya too.”  
Orela and Tia burst into the house, kissing, groping each other. They were completely oblivious to the two younger girls in the room and fell onto their own bed.  
“Is that what love means? Fang, are we gonna be like that when we get older?” Vanille said, truly horrified by the Gai’ama and Tay girls making out not twenty feet from them.  
“Of course not!” Fang whispered, forgetting completely what she had been mad at.  
“Polla says lesbians are two girls who love each other. We love each other, n’ Sugar already calls us lesbians. Fang, I don’t want to be like those two! They’re strippin’ each other!” Vanille whined.  
“Hey! Hey, ya morons! Can’t ya see we were in the middle of somethin’?” Fang yelled. The two girls looked at her, then looked at Vanille. They stopped making out and sat up.  
“I hardly think we’re morons, Yun Fang,” Tia said.  
“Leave her ‘lone, Tia, she’s just a kid. She doesn’t even know what she’s seein’,” Orela purred.  
“I can’t work like this. She killed the mood, Orela. I’m gonna keep seein’ the look she’s givin’ us in my mind for days.”  
“Why? Doncha listen to Sugar? Fang n’ Vanille? Those two are like us, Baby Doll, they’re just too young to know what to do with it. I can’t believe Yun Chloe wants her kid to marry Fang, she’s never gonna go for it.”  
“I don’t like that boy anyways,” Fang remarked.  
“Oh, we know ya don’t, Princess, n’ it’s wrong for Chloe to keep pushin’ it. We’d never let someone do that to us. Me n’ Tia are proud of our love, n’ nobody is gonna take it from us. We’re gonna get married soon, n’ we’re gonna be happy ‘bout it, no matter who says otherwise,” Orela said.  
“Yer not old ‘nuff to get married. Yer both fourteen. Rules say ya have to be at least nineteen,” Fang said.  
“Cutie, that’s only if yer marryin’ a male. That’s so ya don’t get pregnant before yer physically ready. We’re marryin’ each other, n’ we’re both girls so we can’t get each other pregnant, so there’s no harm. Just one benefit of our lifestyle,” Tia said.  
“Oh, sometimes I wish we could, though,” Orela said longingly.  
“I dunno what you two are, but Fang and I aren’t like that! We love each other like sisters! All my real sisters are too old for me to play with, and the closest siblin’ to me in age is a boy! Fang is my best friend!” Vanille exclaimed.  
“Yeah, Vanny, that’s how it started with us too,” Tia said. She and Orela were really starting to bug Fang, mostly because they were actually so supportive of her having a deeper relationship with Vanille. It was bad enough Sugar would make gagging noises every time she’d walk by Fang playing with her sister, but these two actually thought they were together, and they were all for it!


	8. Chapter 8

The Honour Guard searched for days, using Three-Tailed hounds to track Mattiya’s scent, but they couldn’t find her. The trail stopped at a river, and the consensus was that she had drowned herself. Of course, since they hadn’t found her body, maybe she had just had enough mind from being a hunter to have gone into the river so the dogs would lose the scent. Horn agreed to take Fang on as his apprentice, which of course made Polla angry.  
Fang and Vanille were not the only two orphans in the village, but they felt like it since Fang wouldn’t get along with the other kids. There were several Tay children who had lost their parents, another Yun girl whose parents had been killed by people from Cocoon (who Oerbans likened to monsters), and three Dia kids whose mother had died in childbirth and didn’t know who their father was. Amber and some of the older Dia healers took care of them all. Amber loved Vanille and would always take care of her, and not just because the girl was her niece.  
Horn had commissioned a Gai’ama blacksmith to make a lance for Fang, knowing how the girl would use a sharpened stick and decided she needed a real weapon if she was going to be a full hunter, and she wanted to use a lance like her father. Mattiya had taken Tiber’s lance with her when she had disappeared. Vanille was a little bit jealous, because Horn had never special ordered anything like that for her, but she loved Fang so she wasn’t too bothered.  
Fang felt bad, but she was at least happy she had Vanille, and that Horn was going to teach her how to hunt with the best of them. Vanille was going to be a healer, so she spent a lot of time that she wasn’t with Horn and Fang learning how to take care of the sick or hurt. Amber taught her much, and the other healers liked her. Vanille was doing what a Dia was meant to do, even though deep down she still wanted to hunt too.  
Vanille was laying on her stomach, colouring a picture for homework. Fang was practicing with her sharpened stick, since her lance hadn’t come in yet. Some of the other kids watched her, interested, but still stayed at a distance knowing how volatile Fang’s temper was. Amber even seemed interested, knowing her husband was the girl’s teacher.  
Polla and one of his friends, Gai’ama Hadi, sat at a greater distance and watched Fang. Polla was sore about Fang learning to hunt from a Dia, but he still loved her. Hadi didn’t share the hatred for the Dias, in fact, he was romantically interested in both Sugar and Starr and they fought over him. He didn’t want them to fight though, he said he’d just marry both of them. Polygamy wasn’t necessarily illegal, but it was incredibly rare. Everyone was family, so it was best they all loved each other, and marriage was special, but nobody was quite sure whether or not it was okay to marry multiple people.  
“How on Pulse can ya handle those bleedin’ heart Dias? N’ not just one but two of ‘em! Just look at that damned Vanille! Weak! Just like the rest of them! But she is the only thing standin’ ‘tween me n’ Fang,” Polla complained.  
“If ya knew Sugar n’ Starr like I did, ya’d never think Dias were ‘bleedin’ hearts’ as ya call them again. Ya won’t believe what they want me to do, even though they know I’m just a kid! They’re horrifyin’! They call me ‘Hottie’. N’ Poll? Hate to tell ya, but there’s lots more than Vanille keepin’ Fang n’ ya apart. There’s the simple fact that she don’t like ya. Ya keep pushin’ her, she might just do somethin’ like marry Vanille just to spite ya,” Hadi said.  
“What could those Dia bitches want that ya could possibly give ‘em?” Polla asked sarcastically. “Dias, the Oerba equivalent of Cocoon idjits!”  
“No, they aren’t. Ya need to learn somethin’ Oerba Yun Polla! The Dias aren’t strong, like ya, but they serve much purpose! They make great artisans, though not as much as blacksmiths like my family, n’ they’re the best healers Oerba can breed! Many lives have been saved by Dia healers, includin’ my mother’s when she almost bled out havin’ my youngest sister! Ya don’t even know them! Just ‘cause Dia healers failed to save yer father doesn’t mean they’re all a buncha incompetent fools! If yer pack had brought a Dia with them, yer father woulda survived that bolt!” Hadi yelled. Then he looked Polla straight in the eyes. “If ya really want Fang, ya gotta lay off Vanille. That’s the only way she will stop hatin’ ya. She’ll protect her with her life, she may even love her.”  
Polla decided Fang had practiced enough. He wasn’t going to acknowledge Vanille, but that was as far as he’d go to not call her names. He just wanted to focus completely on the girl he wanted to marry. “Fang! Aren’t ya tired! We can go get some of those pretzels the Tay chef makes or somethin’!” he called out.  
Fang wanted to quit, and she really wanted those pretzels. She wondered if they were extra salty, since she loved salt. What she didn’t want was Polla to see a reaction out of her though. He was unbearably nasty to Vanille, and he didn’t even bother to get to know her. And he had torn into Fang herself about learning from Horn. She was downright tired of him, and wanted so much to give him a big, sharp surprise once she got her special spear, though harming another Oerban was enough to get one permanently exiled. She continued to practice, even though she was tiring fast.  
“Fang, just go with him. I’m fine here. Aunt Amber will make sure nothin’ bothers us,” Vanille said, almost as though she had read her friend’s mind.  
“I’m not gonna fall for any of Polla’s stupid tricks!” Fang snapped.  
“Is it so wrong he likes you?”  
“Yes! He can’t accept that yer my best friend, he can’t accept any of yer clan! N’ he doesn’t even get to know any of them! I mean, he thinks yer all like Sugar n’ Starr, and that’s not true at all,” Fang hissed.  
“Fang, Polla can’t make us stop bein’ friends, n’ he loves you. I wish a boy liked me, but they don’t. And even if one did, they’d be too ‘fraid of you to come near,” Vanille said, looking through her crayons. “By the way, could someone go ask Aunt Amber if she has an extra yellow crayon? I lost my last one.”  
“Go get it yerself!” Kerros Dayla snapped. Fang glared at her, teeth bared.  
Dia Sorrel, one of Vanille’s brothers came to where the kids were playing, holding a small Three-Tailed Hound puppy. “Yun Fang? This may be the wrong time, but yer fiancé ordered a present for ya a few days ago, n’ it just got old ‘nuff to leave it’s mother. This is yer’s,” he said, handing Fang the cute puppy. Fang stared, not believing what she was hearing. How could Polla have known she wanted a dog? And how could he have dealt with the Dias without being banished from the house for the rest of the day for mouthing off about them being ‘bleedin’ hearts’?  
Fang went to Polla, holding her puppy. “Ya got this for me? Even knowin’ the Dias breed n’ train them?” she asked.  
“If yer gonna be a hunter, ya have to have a Three-Tailed Hound,” Polla said. “Do ya like him?”  
“Of course I like him! I always wanted my own Three-Tail! My dad had three of them, ya know. I’ve always liked them. Thanks…” Fang said, cradling her puppy like a baby. Maybe Polla wasn’t so bad after all, even if he mistreated Vanille. “The only question now is what I’m gonna name him.”  
“Call him whatever ya’d like, n’ I’ll have him registered under that name.”


	9. Chapter 9

Four Years Later…  
Fang learned how to hunt quickly, especially with her hound Dessie (short for “The Great Destructor”) at her side. Even if she was only eleven, she was already almost at the level of the full-fledged hunters. She’d often take her dog and find Polla and they’d go catch beasts the whole house could share without anyone else helping them. Vanille would only come with them if behemoths or other dangerous beasts were in the area and they’d need a healer (even though Fang was yet to kill a behemoth). Despite the fact that Polla’s opinions for the Dias had not changed at all, Fang and Vanille were still the best of friends.  
“Have ya heard, Fang? My mother said the huntin’ pack is goin’ on a big expedition to Archylte Steppe, n’ though it’s mostly to see if Cocoonies have invaded the area, they’re also gonna do some serious big game huntin’, n’ I talked to the hunters, n’ they said they plan on takin’ us too, ‘cause we need some major experience and we’ll be among lots of hunters n’ their Three-Tails so we’ll be safe!” Polla exclaimed one day.  
“What ‘bout Vanille? I’m not goin’ without Vanille,” Fang said.  
“Oh, I asked ‘bout yer friend the bleedin’ heart Dia brat. Mom says Amber n’ the healers are goin’, she can probably lend a hand with them,” Polla said. “But haven’t ya heard what I said? WE GET TO HUNT IN ARCHYLTE WITH THE ADULTS! Me, ya, and Dessie!”  
“Yeah, I hear ya, Polla, n’ it’s great! We’ve got to get ready! When we goin?” Fang asked.  
“Whenever the huntmasters get the packs together and ready,” Polla said, playing with his own Three-Tailed hound, Hurricane.  
Fang immediately got to packing whatever she could think to take on such a big trip, whatever she decided she’d need. She had never been so far from her home, and it excited her. She was determined she was going to finally take down a King Behemoth and get revenge for how the one tore her father’s leg off and gave her a badly scarred arm. Then the rest of the clan would respect her even more and once she got old enough she’d become the huntmistress and only one of the many benefits of that would be she’d be allowed to marry whoever she wanted and Polla would just have to deal with it. Even if she didn’t hate him as much as she used to, considering he had bought her a dog and was doing all kinds of nice things for her otherwise (despite still tormenting Vanille), she still didn’t want to marry the boy. She liked some of the other cute hunter boys better.  
Polla helped Fang pack, even though he needed to get his own hunting supplies together. “Hey Fang? Ya only need one Three-Tail harness for this. I’m leavin’ Cane here to keep Mom company since she isn’t comin’,” he said, looking through some of the things Fang was packing, even though she didn’t like him digging through her pack.  
“Get outta my stuff, n’ doncha think Hurricane needs to get out and hunt once in a while? I mean, she’s a hound dog, ya can’t let her huntin’ skills get rusty. We’re gonna be gone for a few weeks,” Fang said, trying to decide what else she needed. She had clothes, she had her spear, she had potions and other healing items even though there would be healers present at all times, and she had what she needed for her dog. The hunters would have rations so there’d be food even if they couldn’t catch anything right away.  
“Bein’ gone for a few weeks isn’t gonna ruin Cane’s huntin’ skills. She’s a hound dog, she has instincts. Maybe she can spend the time with our exterminators and help catch the rats or somethin’ if I were so worried ‘bot her getting’ rusty,” Polla said.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
At least forty hunters were involved, some seasoned, some like Fang and Polla fairly young. There were hunters from the four main clans and a few from lesser clans like the Kerros and the Falis. They had each brought a few healers from their clans along too, including Amber and Vanille from the Dias. With the exception of the Yuns, the huntmasters would lead their packs. In the case of the Yuns, Fang’s oldest sister Marilla would lead.  
“Ya ask me, Rilla should be Huntmistress, not yer mom,” Fang whispered to Polla.  
“Hey, my mom wanted to do it. Yer sister shoulda spoke up when she had the chance,” Polla said.  
“She wasn’t old ‘nuff ‘til this year!”  
“This trip is goin’ to be really dangerous. The two of ya need to pay attention n’ listen to directions,” Tay Halley scolded. Fang and Polla promptly shut up.  
The hunters all wore their clan colours, even the kids had gotten their own. Yuns, like Fang and Polla, wore blue. The three Dia hunters (one of which was Horn) wore blood red. The many Tays wore yellow, which didn’t go well with the fact that most of them had blonde hair. The Gai’ama colour was green. The healers all wore lighter robes of their clan’s colour. Vanille seemed to rather dislike her robes, but Amber made sure she didn’t take them off.  
“Okay, as ya all may know, this is more than a mere huntin’ trip. Look up at the sky, n’ ya’ll see what we fear. That is Cocoon. As most of us already know, people from Cocoon have been a threat for a long time, they have even been known to leave occasionally and come to Pulse to kill our kin. Well, we need to figure out how they keep gettin’ here, n’ this area, despite its monsters, looks promisin’. We will stop these beasts from slaughterin’ any more of us!” Huntmaster Alexis explained.  
“But what if they’re gettin’ in another way?” A Tay woman asked.  
“We’ll take care of that, but first we need to rule this land out first. N’ of course, it’s a bountiful land, we’re also here to do some huntin’, so feel free to do so, just remember not to take more than we can eat, ya know the rules.”  
Fang and Vanille stared at the sky. Polla rolled his eyes. He didn’t think Cocoon could be that different, even if the rest of his family thought the people who lived there were complete monsters. It was true some of them had killed Oerbans, but he wasn’t sure they were as evil as everyone thought.   
“Someday, we’re gonna destroy that floatin’ eyesore,” Fang said.   
“Do you really think the stories are true?” Vanille asked.  
“Yeah, they must be. We’ve all heard ‘bout how evil the Cocoonies are our whole lives,” Fang said.  
“I dunno. Has any Oerban ever been there?” Polla wondered.  
“Why would we want to go live with those monsters?” Fang asked him.  
“I’m not sayin’ that. I’m just sayin’ how can we judge those people, when none of us have ever so much as seen their world? Maybe there’s a reason they hurt us. Maybe…they think we’re the monsters,” Polla said.


	10. Chapter 10

Of course Fang and Polla could not stay with the group, being the way they were. Fang had never been so far away from Oerba and never in such a wide open space. And it wasn’t like the hunters would be too far to intervene if the two of them got in trouble.  
Fang wanted to watch Sorrel command his small army of Three-Tailed Hounds, learn some tips for training Dessie, but she also wanted to play with Vanille and Polla. She was eleven, she had a very short attention span, and she had never been this far from the village. Vanille would want to go exploring, and she’d have to have someone to protect her, and Polla would go wherever Fang went in hopes of impressing her, even if it involved his hated enemy.  
“This place is so cool. Look at all this! Hey Fang, do ya think the packs can take down one of those gigantic Adamantoises?” Polla asked excitedly.  
“I know they can! Turtle soup for months!” Fang exclaimed.   
“We should stay with the group,” Vanille said.  
“Nobody told ya to tag along, Red. If yer scared, go back to yer bleedin’ heart Dia friends and leave me n’ Fang alone. We can have fun all by ourselves, we don’t need ya anyway,” Polla hissed.  
“Polla, shut up or go back to the pack,” Fang said. She leaned against a rock outcropping and ended up going right through the wall.  
“Fang!” Polla and Vanille yelled.  
“I’m okay…there’s an alcove here…hey, this is cool! Come in here, the both of ya!” Fang yelled. Polla climbed into the hole in the wall Fang had fallen through, and Fang helped Vanille climb in. Dessie leapt in after the kids happily.  
“It’s dark, I can’t see,” Vanille said.  
“Lousy Dia brat, go back to the pack,” Polla said. Fang kicked him in the shins.  
“Guess where the next one’s goin’!” Fang snapped. Polla got the point and decided to lay off Vanille for a little while.  
“Look Fang! I see water, and under it there’s light!” Vanille exclaimed.  
“Hey Fang, let’s check it out. Do ya know how to swim?” Polla asked Fang.  
“Sure do,” Fang said, stripping down so her hunter garb wouldn’t get wet.  
“Fang, get your clothes back on. We’ve gotta get back to the rest. They’re gonna get worried ‘bout us,” Vanille pleaded.  
“Yer perfectly welcome to go back to the pack yerself if yer so worried,” Fang said.  
“Oh yeah, like I’m gonna leave you alone with Polla,” Vanille said.  
“I have Dessie to protect me if he tries to pull anythin’,” Fang said, petting her dog. She had stripped down to her undergarments and was getting ready to get in the water.   
“Oh goddess it’s cold!” Polla yelped. He was already in the water, stripped down himself.  
“Good, that means ya won’t be able to do anythin’ wrong to me,” Fang hissed.  
“Do ya even know what yer worried ‘bout?”   
“Marilla told me a lot of things when we found out Lavender is pregnant!”  
“Yer sister doesn’t know what the hell she’s talkin’ ‘bout! I think she’s a lesbian too!”  
“Ya shut up! Rilla is gettin’ married, like ya want us to do, but it ain’t gonna happen!”  
Vanille grabbed Fang’s arm. “C’mon Fangy! I don’t want Uncle Horn to worry ‘bout us, n’ I’m not leavin’ you here with Polla!” she pleaded.  
“We’re gonna check out that light,” Fang said. She got in the water and pulled Vanille in with her.  
“It is cold! I’m gonna go into hypothermia!” Vanille cried.  
“Big words don’t endear me to ya any more, Dia brat,” Polla said right before he went under and swam to where the light was coming from.   
Fang followed, Dessie at her side. Vanille was nervous, but much as she was worried about getting in trouble with the packs, she was more afraid of losing Fang’s respect. And she was curious about the light too, so she swam after them.  
The three kids and the dog emerged in another cave, but it was different. There were gems all over the ceiling, like glittering stars. They were the source of the light.  
“This is so cool. I bet nobody else knows ‘bout this place,” Fang said, staring at the gems.  
“That light…the colour. It’s kinda romantic,” Vanille said.  
“Hey, if the two of ya are gonna start makin’ out, please blind me first,” Polla growled.  
“I’m not a lesbian!” Vanille yelled. “The light is just pretty, that’s all!”  
“They’re like a bazillion li’l stars shinin’ in the sky,” Fang said, hugging Polla and Vanille to her, one on each side.  
“Very poetic, Fangy!” Vanille exclaimed.  
“Fang?” Polla asked, surprised that the girl would even touch him.  
“Let’s not tell anyone ‘bout this place! Not even our families! It could be our secret spot, just for us,” Fang said, letting go of her friends. She took her spear and carved their names on the wall. Oerba Yun Fang, Oerba Yun Polla, Oerba Dia Vanille…and then as an afterthought she added The Great Destructor. “See, I wouldn’t forget ‘bout ya, Dessie!”  
“Fang! Can I borrow that? I want to draw somethin’ too!” Vanille exclaimed.  
“Like ya could lift that spear? Fang is strong, she can handle it,” Polla said.  
“Sorry Vanille, but Polla’s right. It’s really heavy, n’ it’s special made for me. Ya can’t handle it. Hey! I have a better idea! Polla, lend her one of yer bolts. She can use the tip on that to carve,” Fang said.  
Polla got one of his bolts for his crossbow out of his pack, which he had brought in just in case there were monsters in the cave, just like Fang had brought her spear. “Fine. Make yer li’l drawin’, but doncha dare break this! I only have a certain number of ‘em, n’ if ya break ‘em n’ I need to fight, I’ll shoot ya first before the monster!” He snapped.  
Fang grinned and watched Vanille draw a chocobo. This trip was already more fun than any of them had even anticipated.


	11. Chapter 11

The rest of the hunting trip was a blur to the three friends. Finding the secret spot was the highlight of the experience, maybe the highlight of their young lives so far. Fang could hardly concentrate and had to be rescued several times by some of the older hunters. She had all but forgotten her desire to slay a King Behemoth, just happily thinking about how she and her closest friends had found such a cool place that only they could know about.  
Vanille had told the packs that she and Fang had gone off to find water, and they hadn’t found anything. She was worried about getting in trouble still. It was her first hunting trip too and she didn’t want anyone to regret taking her along. The hunters didn’t seem to care much. They had bigger things on their minds, with three of the Tays managing to take down an adamantoise and them all trying to figure out how to divide it up.  
Life was flat-out confusing to little Vanille. She was training to be a healer while what she really wanted was to be a hunter like Fang, even though time and again she heard she was not meant for that. Very few Dias were decent hunters, and only a small minority of even them were female. All three of the Dia hunters present were men. According to the traditions of Clan Dia, men brought in the food and women prepared it. Women were artisans, healers, and teachers. In Vanille’s case, her mother had been a Tay hunter who had adopted the Dia name. She herself had quit hunting and became an artisan when she started having children, and she had nine of them: Lavender, Sorrel, Sugar, Starr, Hera, Pom, Trey, Marion, and of course Vanille. Vanille didn’t know what kind of future a deviant like herself could have even.  
Vanille loved Fang, but she never even thought about being intimate with her, maybe marrying her (if the huntmasters approved, anyone could get married as long as they were old enough even if they were both the same sex). Of course, she was nine and didn’t know anything about sex. She didn’t know what love was, besides love of a family, love like she felt for her Uncle Horn and Aunt Amber. She found the thought of two women to be weird and wrong, but not when she was thinking about Fang. She wanted nothing more than to be like Fang, the girl was her everything, she consumed Vanille’s thoughts.  
Vanille sat by the campfire that night and watched everyone. Two of the Dia healers were singing one of the old songs, and a few of the hunters were roasting meat. Amber was off to a side talking with some of the women about Lavender and her pregnancy. Most of the Oerban women loved babies, and whenever a girl would have one the whole tribe would help her care for it. Polla and Fang were fighting over who got what piece of the goblin they had taken down (which made Vanille smile simply because it was so absurd). As for Horn, he was standing watch with some of the other hunters, making sure nothing attacked them. The Three-Tail hounds howled, singing their own sad-sounding song.  
“No! I get that leg, ‘cause that’s where I shot it!” Polla protested.  
“Like hell ya did! Ya shot it ‘bout ten seconds after I speared it!” Fang argued.  
“Fang, what have we told ya ‘bout that kinda language?” Miss Francisca, a Yun healer, asked angrily, listening to the argument to make sure neither child hurt the other.  
“But Francisca, hell isn’t a swear word!”  
“That’s up for debate,” Vanille chimed in.  
“Ya stay outta this BHDB!” Polla yelled.  
“BH…what?” Francisca asked.  
“BHDB. It stands for ‘Bleedin’ Heart Dia Brat’, which is what he always calls her,” Fang clarified. Then she blew it. “Hell, I’m not sure if he even knows her real name.”  
Francisca was furious. “Fang, I just told ya to stop sayin’ that word. I don’t care if it’s a swear word of not, if I hear it or anythin’ close again, yer goin’ straight to bed without supper. I’m an adult, so I do have authority over ya even if yer a hunter and I’m just a healer!”  
“Her name is Vanilla, not that I care,” Polla muttered. Fang made a deep growling sound in her throat, but didn’t correct him. She was already in trouble, and she didn’t know if she could resist yelling out every name in the book and getting sent to bed without her dinner, and she was hungry. “Hey Fang? Did ya bring yer salt shaker? I know ya like salt,”  
“Polla, stop antagonizin’ her!”  
“I’m not. I’m just askin’ if she has salt, she does like salt.”  
Vanille started getting angry herself, and she wasn’t sure why. She didn’t like Polla, and she wanted to hurt him, but she was hungry too and didn’t want to get sent to bed either. She wanted to attack him, even though she damn well knew he’d totally smash her. Yuns were much stronger than Dias, and they both knew it. She had hated Polla for a long time though, and she had never felt this angry about him before. She didn’t like feeling this way.  
“Polla, look at me, forget about Fang n’ salt n’ dinner. You don’t know me at all, n’ if you don’t stop deliberately tormentin’ me, I will show you that I’m far more than just a bleedin’ heart Dia brat!” Vanille growled.  
“Sheesh Vanille, what’s up yer rear?” Fang asked.  
“I’m tired of him callin’ me names! He doesn’t even attempt to get to know me, n’ he keeps callin’ me ‘bleedin’ heart Dia brat’ or somethin’ else I can’t stand! I can see why you don’t want to marry him, but even so we still have to live with him! N’ you have to live with me n’ the rest of the Dias, Polla, so get used to it already!” Vanille yelled.  
“Vanille, calm down!” Francisca cried.  
“Why are you defendin’ him, Miss Francisca? I know you’re a Yun too, but does that make you completely blind to the way he treats me and my family?” Vanille asked.  
“I’m not defendin’ him. It is wrong that he treats ya this way, but none of us need ya to fly off the handle right now.”  
“I have every reason to act up! Everyone hates me! Why is it Fang is the only person who treats me like I’m worth anythin’?”  
“That’s not true at all, Vanille. Fang may love ya, but she’s not the only one. Ya have an uncle and aunt who love ya very much, and ya have eight siblings who love ya too. N’ then there’s…” Francisca began.  
“Love? The only thing Sugar loves ‘bout me is that I’m there to make fun of! N’ even Lavender doesn’t need me, she’s havin’ her own kid and she hasn’t been payin’ attention to me!” Vanille interrupted.  
“Sugar loves ya, she’s just bein’ a teen. N’ she might have some things she’s not so sure ‘bout herself and it might make her feel better to take it out on ya. Don’t take it personally. She’s a complicated girl. As for Lavender, she’s goin’ through a difficult time, Vanille. She’s havin’ a baby, n’ that’s not easy, but she still loves her youngest sister. The most important thing is takin’ care of herself right now,” Francisca said, hugging Vanille. “Just wait n’ see, things are gonna get better for ya, I know it.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even I find this chapter a little revolting, but I felt since it's about the girls growing up, they had to learn about something major at one point... this is a warning. Don't read it if you're squeamish.

It began as a normal day for Vanille. She got up, left the tent careful not to step on anyone sleeping nearby, and went out to relieve herself. But unlike any other day, she soon found out she was bleeding out her lady parts. She thought she was hurt, and attempted a Cure, but she still bled.  
The terrified girl ran back to the tent. She had to find “Uncle Horn! Wake up! I’m injured, and I can’t heal it!” Vanille yelled.  
“Wha…? Vanille, go back to bed,” Horn muttered.  
“But Uncle Horn, I’m bleedin’ n’ I tried to cast Cure, but it won’t stop!” Vanille cried.  
Amber, sleeping next to Horn, opened one green eye. “Horn, just go see what’s wrong with her. Use a Potion, n’ if it won’t work, come n’ get me,” she said.  
“Uncle Horn, I’m bleedin’ badly,” Vanille kept saying.  
“Where are ya bleedin’?” Horn asked.  
“Out my lady parts.”  
Horn immediately woke up Amber, who had heard everything. “Amber, I think it’s time ya had a serious talk with our niece,” he said.  
“Oh my goddess! Vanille, why didn’t ya just say so! C’mon, we’re goin’ out to the river. It’s time ya knew somethin’ important, n’ we didn’t expect this for at least another three years,” Amber said, getting up and picking up Vanille.  
On the other side of the tent, Fang watched quietly, pretending to sleep. What could be wrong with her best friend?  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Amber placed Vanille in the river and began washing her gently. Yeah, she was bleeding, and Amber wished she could stop it.  
“When did this start?” Amber asked.  
“I noticed it when I went out. Aunt Amber, am I gonna die?” Vanille asked.  
“Of course not! Vanille, yer just becomin’ a woman. Once a month, every girl bleeds out her vagina for a few days. It normally happens when yer eleven or twelve, but every girl is different, and ya just happen to be early. It’s perfectly natural,” Amber said.  
“Once a month! I can’t deal with this once a month for the rest of my life!” Vanille cried.  
“There’s no way to stop it. The healers have things that can help though, I’ll get some later. Vanille, every woman does it. Yer mother did it, I do it, all yer sisters do it; hell, even the female Three-Tail Hounds do it. It means yer becomin’ fertile, that ya’ll be able to have children,” Amber said, bathing Vanille gently. “N’ it’s not for yer whole life, little one, when ya get to be forty or fifty ya’ll stop.”  
“Aunt Amber, I’m scared. I don’t like it, it hurts,” Vanille said.  
“Yeah, yer probably gonna have cramps the first day or so. Well, at least now we know why ya were bein’ such a little pill last night. That’s somethin’ else. Ya get angry or upset for no reason before it happens,” Amber said.  
“Before what happens?” Fang asked, completely naked and looking to take a bath.  
“Yun Fang, go back to the tent. I’m talkin’ to Vanille privately,” Amber said.  
“Fang, do ya really bleed out yer lady parts for days at a time?” Vanille asked. Amber swatted her, and prayed Fang wouldn’t answer.  
“I never have, but I hear it happens,” Fang said.  
“Thank ya for yer input, Fang. Go back to bed!” Amber snapped. Fang didn’t listen to her and got in the water.  
“Ya need a hug, Vanille?” Fang asked.  
“No, leave me ‘lone. I’m a woman now, n’ you’re still a little girl,” Vanille said.  
Fang laughed. “Yer two years younger than me! Yer the little girl!” she exclaimed.  
“”I hope Polla didn’t follow ya out here. I really don’t want to have to explain this to him,” Amber hissed.  
“Hell no. I know he wouldn’t want a damn thing to do with Vanille, n’ I was worried ‘bout her,” Fang said.  
“Stop swearin’ n’ go back to the tent. If yer not goin’ back to sleep, ya can at least bring me my medical supplies. I have things to help Vanille. If ya really want to help her, just bring me my stuff. Vanille, are ya feelin’ any better? I’m gonna teach ya how to deal with this once yer friend goes and gets my supplies,” Amber said.  
Vanille was swimming at this point, but she was still incredibly uneasy. Fang ran off to get Amber’s bag of potions and other medicines, and she snuck an antidote out of it, planning on playing a nasty trick on Polla later that day with poison plants. She hoped Amber wouldn’t notice the potion missing, she had so many.  
Once Amber had her bag, she daubed Vanille with cotton balls, trying to clean her up before she taught her how to keep from bleeding everywhere.  
“So Vanille. Yer a woman now, huh? Does that mean yer gonna be lookin’ to get married n’ have kids?” Fang asked.  
“She’s nine, Fang. She’s not allowed to get married ‘til she’s nineteen, ya know that,” Amber said. She pulled some things out of her bag. “Now Vanille, This is a sheepskin, okay? I’m gonna put it inside ya, n’ it’s gonna catch the blood.”  
“This whole thing is gross,” Fang said.  
“Fang, then go back to the tent before they come lookin’ for ya. I don’t want to have to explain this to anyone else. This is between Vanille n’ the Goddess, I’m just tryin’ to teach her how to deal with it and ease her pain,” Amber said.  
“I followed ya for another reason too Amber.”  
“What’s wrong, Fang?”  
“Can ya tell me where babies come from? I know a little bit, but nobody else would tell me, n’ yer a healer so ya must know how girls have babies. I asked Francisca, but she thinks I’m too young to know, n’ I’d ask one of the Tays, but I hate them,” Fang said.  
Amber finished working on Vanille and cuddled her, trying to comfort her over the shock of her morning. Vanille certainly didn’t feel like a woman, and she wanted to be a kid a little longer. “Okay, I think it’s pretty well time, what with Vanille and all. I’ll tell the two of ya, but don’t be repeatin’ any of it to the younger kids.”  
Vanille and Fang huddled close, eager to learn.


	13. Chapter 13

Three years later…  
“It’s a big ceremony Vanille! Ya hafta get dressed up nice!” Fang exclaimed. She was dressed in full blue hunter garb, only slightly fancier than usual. She was going to be made a full hunter, and it was a big deal in Oerba since hunters were so important. Recent hunts had turned up signs of Cocoon insurrection, but nobody knew still how they were getting in so easily. The Oerbans would take them out sometimes, even though some of them found it very wrong with them being human too.  
“Ooh, a big ceremony. There’s gonna be alcohol. Drunk Sugar ahoy! Maybe she’ll even be tolerable!” Vanille joked.  
“Yeah! But phooey, I still have to wait two more years to drink,” Fang said. Drinking age in Oerba was sixteen. It was one of the things they kind of did.  
“Polla’s gonna be recognized as a full hunter too, isn’t he?” Vanille asked. Polla was still a jerk, but Fang somehow finally noticed he was a man when she was thirteen, and now she liked him even if he still bothered Vanille. They hadn’t slept together yet, but they had come close.  
“There’s four of us. Polla and I are two of them, and then there’s two Tay girls. Tays seem to be the opposite of ya, aren’t they? The women do lotta the huntin’ and the men are artisans n’ healers n’ such. I don’t care ‘bout the stupid Tays, but Polla n’ I are special,” Fang said. “Been a long time since there’s been any new Yun hunters. Coupla years…”  
“N’ oh boy, are we gonna celebrate!” Polla said, coming into the house, his four dogs happily trotting in by his side. Fang only had (and felt she needed) Dessie, but Polla kept getting new hounds. Three-Tailed hounds could live to be about twenty, so Dessie was still a strong dog at seven. Vanille wanted a dog and would help her brother raise them sometimes, but generally only hunters, breeders, and members of the Honour Guard could have them. There just weren’t enough of them for everyone to have one of their own, especially with some of the hunters, like Polla, having four or five.  
“Yeah. Ya be nice n’ not talk down to the Dias during the party, n’ maybe I’ll let ya touch my nips,” Fang said.  
“Usin’ your body to keep him quiet, oh that’s a new low Fang,” Vanille said.  
“Van, it’s not hurtin’ either of us, especially not me, n’ it’s not like I’m havin’ sex with him, at least not yet. I just let him play with my breasts, how does that hurt? Matter of fact, It doesn’t hurt, it feels good n’ I like it,” Fang said.  
“I like it too,” Polla said, wrapping his arms around Fang’s waist.  
“That’s almost scarier than walkin’ in on Tia n’ Orela in bed,” Vanille said.  
“Oh, ya just wait ‘til ya find a boyfriend. Ya’ll be just like this,” Fang purred, Polla kissing her neck.  
“Polla, get off of yer girlfriend for now and go get dressed!” Chloe called. Polla gave Fang one last kiss and ran off to get ready for the ceremony.  
“Damn, just when it was gettin’ good too,” Fang said.  
“The two of you can make out later. Chloe is right, we gotta get ready,” Vanille said.  
“Ya need to get ready. I am ready. I’ve been ready all day!”  
“Hey Fang? Why is it you always hated Polla, and now you’re lettin’ him do all kinds of things to you?”  
“I think he’s changed. He’s not picked at me for a long time. I dunno, I just like him. He’s cute, and he’s in always been in love with me, that’s kinda nice. N’ he does nice things for me. Got me a dog, shares in our secret spot, helps me all the time, gives me attention,” Fang said. “N’ he’s a Yun, y’know. Not a lot of them my age. I do want to marry into my clan.”  
“But he’s Polla!”  
“People change Vanille. Who ya are when yer a kid is not always who ya are when yer a teen, n’ even less who ya are as an adult. Yer uncle told me that.”  
“I don’t notice any difference in the boy.”  
“That’s ‘cause yer still just a kid. Now go get dressed.”  
Vanille still didn’t move. “Fang, I’m not just a kid! I’m twelve, n’ ‘sides, I’m more of a woman than you are! You would do well to remember that! I was a woman when I was nine! You weren’t ‘til you were my age! So I’m two years younger than you, you think you’re so grown up just ‘cause you have a boyfriend. A boyfriend who, guess what? You hated with a passion ‘til last year!” she snapped.  
“Sheesh. Moody, moody, moody. Yeah, I think yer bein’ a woman right now. Go get dressed, I’m gonna go see if Flame is ready yet. Why’d Marilla have to go n’ have a kid this year so I hafta take care of my stupid brother? I swear, that boy is gonna get himself killed, n’ why should I…” Fang muttered, walking off.  
Sugar and Starr entered, all dressed up themselves. “Hey Vanille. Aunt Amber told us to help ya get dressed,” Sugar said, a pile of clothes in her arms.  
“Better you than Fang, I s’pose. I love the girl dearly, but she’s so fashion impaired,” Vanille said.  
“Oh yes, do ya love her ‘cause she looks like a boy?” Starr asked.  
“She doesn’t look like a boy, she looks like a werewolf!” Sugar joked.   
“Hey, I said she was fashion impaired, I didn’t say it was an open invitation to make fun of her otherwise! There’s people ‘round, some of them Yuns. If Fang finds out what you’ve been sayin’ ‘bout her, she’ll hurt you again. What’s your deal with her? The Yuns are our friends n’ protectors, always have been. There’s no reason to hate Fang or any of them,” Vanille said quietly. The house was never empty, especially now with everyone getting ready for the ceremony.  
“It’s not that we hate her, Vanille. We try to like her, in fact, ‘cause ya like her and yer our sister. She just needs to lose the temper,” Starr said.  
“She knocked one of my teeth out once, lucky it was just a baby tooth. Fact is, I’m ‘fraid of her,” Sugar said in a tiny voice.   
There was no place very private for Vanille to get dressed, but that wasn’t unusual in Oerba. Since everyone shared the houses, there weren’t really rooms for everyone. It just wasn’t an issue for them though. All three sisters were going to wear red dresses, much as Vanille disliked red. It reminded her of blood. She much preferred pink and would wear it when she didn’t have to dress up.


	14. Chapter 14

Fang was the first on the list to be named a full hunter and Polla was third. The entire Yun clan and Vanille cheered for them both. Vanille only cheered for Polla because he was Fang’s partner, even though he hated her. She still couldn’t believe Fang had fallen for him and was talking about agreeing to the arranged marriage.   
“Lousy Tays. Why’re there so damn many of them? Every fuckin’ year there’s ‘bout two of ‘em made hunters,” Fang growled afterwards, filling a plate with various kinds of meat, and trying to figure out how to get some pretzels to fit on that same plate.  
“Be nice, Fang. The Tays that killed our families were only a few and they’re dead now,” Vanille said, watching her friend dropping pieces of food on the ground trying to get her pretzels onto the plate. Several Three-Tailed hounds hovered around the older girl, waiting to eat whatever she lost.  
“Hey Fang, ya wanna come n’ hunt with me n’ my pack? Goddessh, yer sho shexy!” Yun Kiba, a seventeen-year-old hunter boy, said. He was clearly very drunk. Fang got angry.  
“How ‘bout I practice my huntin’ on ya, Kiba?” Fang asked furiously, her spear in hand.  
“Oh yeah, baby. Come with ush, we’ll have fun with ya,” Kiba said.  
“She’s not gonna have sex with ya, Kiba! Look at that spear! She’s mad as hell!” Polla yelled.  
“I’m gonna show her my shpear…”  
“She’s gonna kill ya, idjit! And besides, she’s MINE!”  
“I got cute boys fightin’ over me, how awesome is that?” Fang asked. Vanille nodded and laughed.  
“Polla, ya don’t have a chanshe with a girl like Fang. She’d be sho much better with me!” Kiba continued. He fell over, giggling like an idiot.  
“Sheesh. Just ‘cause someone legally can drink don’t mean they should,” Vanille muttered.  
“I’d let ya join ush too, Vanille. How doesh a threeshome shound to ya? Me, ya, n’ Fang. Ya don’t hafta be a Yun to be shexy. Dia girlsh can be hot too…” Kiba babbled.  
“Dream on, Kiba.”   
“Shove off!” Polla yelled, jump-kicking Kiba in the back. The boy ran off, best he could being drunk and the way the other boy had kicked him.  
“Thanks, love, I really owe ya,” Fang said, hugging Polla.   
“If ya don’t know how to thank me ‘nuff, I could think of a few ideas,” Polla said, secretly sneaking a squeeze of one of Fang’s breasts.  
“Polla…goddess, why can’t we be alone?” Fang whined.  
“Get your hands offa her! At least in the house!” Vanille yelled.  
“Vanille’s right, Polla. Not here. Everyone’s lookin’ at us. We’ve gotta find a place to be alone, then we can really have fun.” Fang grinned and looked Polla right in the eyes. “Y’know, I think I might be ready to go all the way with ya.”  
“Really? We’re only fourteen,” Polla said.  
“Oh yeah, we’ve been together for ‘bout a year n’ I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout it. N’ I been askin’ people what it’s like, ‘course Sugar still thinks I’m tryin’ to sleep with her sister here.”  
“I’m not sleepin’ with anyone ‘til I get married, n’ I’m not gonna marry a girl,” Vanille said.  
“Fang, how can ya ask Sugar? She’s such a bitch.”  
“But she knows what she’s doin’. Y’know she n’ Starr have sex with Hadi all the time.”  
“SEX?! Fang! You’re just a kid like me! Polla is right, you are only fourteen! How can you be thinkin’ ‘bout that?” Vanille asked, shocked out of her mind.  
“Ya just don’t understand love yet, Vanille,” Fang said. “Hey, Polla. I think the way we do this is we need to find some excuse to go huntin’ out on the Steppe, n’ then we can find the secret spot again, n’ then…”  
“Fang, don’t you know what could happen?”   
“Polla doesn’t have any kind of sex disease. He’s a virgin too, aren’t ya Polla?” Fang asked.  
“I’ve been waitin’ for ya to fall for me, so yeah,” Polla said.  
“Okay, he doesn’t have diseases, but what if he gets you pregnant? You’re fourteen, you’re not old ‘nuff to be a mom,” Vanille said.  
“Vanille, stop worryin’ so much! I know when I’m fertile, and I’m not dumb ‘nuff to do it when I am. I’ll have kids someday, but not yet. I just want to have some fun with my boyfriend,” Fang said.  
“Okay, you’re not gonna have a baby n’ you’re not gonna get a disease, but what if the adults find out? You’ll get in trouble,” Vanille insisted.  
“They won’t care! Though the rules say ya hafta be nineteen to get married, there’s nothin’ ‘bout not bein’ ‘lowed to have casual sex! They all did it, it’s what we do! The pureblood Yuns are infamous for it, n’ that’s what me n’ Polla are! How come ya have no problem with me sneakin’ drinks when nobody else is watchin’ but ya have an issue with me wantin’ to have sex with my boyfriend?!” Fang cried.  
“I do have problems when you drink! You get stupid when you drink! Is that what this is ‘bout? Have you been drinkin’?” Vanille complained.  
“With yer uncle n’ Polla’s mom watchin’ us? Not likely. I just know what I want, n’ please stop arguin’. It’s not hurtin’ ya in any way, yer not involved.”  
“Face facts, Dia. Fangy is growin’ up, n’ she wants me. Maybe someday ya’ll find some bleedin’ heart Dia boy to sleep with, n’ then ya’ll understand,” Polla said.  
Vanille was tired of arguing. Fang was gonna do what she was gonna do, and there was never any talking to her when she got adamant about something. It was one of the things Vanille loved about her, but she also worried something bad was gonna happen to her friend. She figured she should just respect Fang and trust that she knew what she was getting herself into, but with something this extreme? She just hoped Fang saw what was wrong with her plans before she went ahead and did it and wound up in trouble.


	15. Chapter 15

Fang was edgy and mad at her friend. Vanille had gone and told Chloe about Fang and Polla’s intention to have sex, and though the Huntmistress personally loved the idea since they were finally in love and her plan to get them to get married had a chance, some of the other Yun hunters were not thrilled. Yes, Fang and Polla were purebloods, but they were just children after all.   
“I can’t let bad things happen to you Fang. You do know Hadi got Starr pregnant, doncha? N’ he’s your age and she’s seventeen,” Vanille said. Fang was sulking, one of her older cousins was making sure she didn’t leave the village with Polla at Kiya’s order. Kiya was not going to let her granddaughter misbehave.   
“I’m not stupid like yer sister, Vanille. Why’d ya have to tell on us? Stop worryin’ so much ‘bout me. This has nothin’ to do with ya! Yer just ruinin’ my fun,” Fang growled.  
“I’m just tryin’ to keep you from doin’ somethin’ you’ll live to regret,” Vanille said.  
“I love Polla!”  
“Yeah, now. You hated him ‘til last year.”  
“Vanille, why can’t ya let me have any fun? I’d let ya go n’ sleep with a boyfriend if ya ever get one. I love ya, we’re best friends no matter what even I am sore at ya. It’s just I want Polla so much it hurts. Ya need to get that this is ‘tween me, Polla, n’ the Maker. Yer not involved!” Fang yelled.  
“You’d get involved if I was with someone you didn’t like! You’d stab him so many times nobody would be able to identify the body!” Vanille cried.  
“I’m the big sister, it’s my job to protect ya. Not the other way ‘round,” Fang said.  
“I have ‘nuff big sisters who ruin my life. We’re s’posed to be best friends.”  
“Vanille, ya don’t think I understand? I have two older sisters too. Marilla even has a family. I want a family someday. Y’know, a husband n’ some kids. Right now I just want to have some fun. Be a hunter, play with my boyfriend…things I’m finally old ‘nuff for. N’ anyway, yer my best friend. I’d be sure to tell ya all ‘bout it. N’ if ya stop hasslin’ me, I’ll teach ya how to hunt,” Fang said.  
“You’re bribin’ me? Fang, I dunno if I can do this. I love you, I don’t want you to get hurt,” Vanille said.  
“I’m not stupid, kid, nothin’ bad is gonna happen, I promise ya. N’ ya wanna know somethin’ else? Polla is huge. I’ve seen it, I want it,” Fang said with a sly look.  
“So Fang, if I were to become a hunter what weapon do you think would suit me?” Vanille asked, changing the subject. She had given up on trying to change Fang’s mind.  
“Meh, ya seem to like yer aunt’s healin’ staff n’ yer pretty good with it. Maybe it would be a good idea to use somethin’ like that. Or maybe get a crossbow like Polla. Ya shot that bear that one time with his, n’ ya were damn good with it. I dunno. Don’t take this the wrong way, but yer too small and weak to use a spear like mine. I mean, I doubt ya could even hold mine properly. It’s not easy to decide, we’ll hafta work on it when we’re out there,” Fang said.  
“Healin’ staff…I don’t wanna really think ‘bout that. Aunt Amber says I’m gonna have to assist her when Starr has her baby, n’ the thought bothers me. Starr is my sister, I don’t wanna watch her have a kid,” Vanille said.  
“It’s not like she’s gonna make ya deliver yer sister’s baby, Van. Don’t worry ‘bout it. I wish I had talent as a healer so I could help when girls have babies. Wasn’t even ‘lowed outta the house when Rilla had her daughter. Chloe was convinced I was gonna bother the healers,” Fang said.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Fang took Vanille outside the village later that day. Polla and Hadi followed, since the hunters believed Fang and Polla wouldn’t try anything with Vanille around, and they didn’t plan to. Hadi was Polla’s friend and he was learning how to be a hunter too, plus he didn’t want to be around Starr too much. Her hormones were driving him crazy. Fang hadn’t told Horn she was going to teach Vanille to hunt, she had told him they were using her as a healer.   
“Hey Hadi? Are you actually gonna marry my sisters or what?” Vanille asked.  
“I s’pose I kinda hafta, don’t I? I mean, Starr’s got my kid, and I keep expectin’ Sugar to have one,” Hadi said.  
“Marryin’ Dia brats…that makes me lose a lotta respect for ya,” Polla growled.  
“Polla, what am I s’posed to do? Starr’s pregnant by me, y’know. I’ve gotta take care of my kid,” Hadi said. “I mean, what would ya do if ya got Fang knocked up?”  
“That’s differ’nt! We’re both Yuns! Ya should be with Gai’ama girls, Hadi.”  
“Polla, yer such a racist,” Fang growled. “Why ya gotta be this way? Dias have never done anythin’ to ya.”  
“Like the Tay’s have never done anythin’ to ya!” Polla shot back.  
“Yes, they have! The stupid Tays killed my father in cold blood! The Dias meant no harm and they feverishly tried to save yer father! If yer mother had brought one with the pack instead of bringin’ him to them after even Yun healers had failed, they woulda been able to! Clan Dia produces the best healers in Oerba!” Fang yelled.  
Vanille and Hadi exchanged looks, watching their friends argue. Vanille still couldn’t believe Fang wanted to sleep with the other Yun. There were other Yun boys, other hunters, which Fang would do so much better with. Even Kiba was a sweet boy when he wasn’t drunk off his rear. How could Fang have a future as the Huntmistress when she spent all her time arguing with her husband?  
“Vanille, how can ya stand bein’ anywhere near Polla? He’s my friend, but he’s just so…black n’ white ‘bout yer lot,” Hadi said.  
“If Fang wasn’t involved, I’d avoid the boy at all costs,” Vanille said. “I shoulda known. She promised to teach me how to hunt, but all she’s gonna do is sit and bark at Polla all day n’ wind up more in love with him than ever. Sheesh.”  
“Meh, ya can’t take Poll seriously. He may wish harm on ya, but he’s all talk. He’d never do anythin’ to ya, ‘specially with Fangy ‘round,” Hadi said.  
Fang had decided to stop arguing with Polla, and the hunting game resumed as usual after that.


	16. Chapter 16

Chloe, being the Yun huntmistress, had a lot of pull amongst all of Oerba. And she wanted Fang and Polla together, despite Kiya and Vanille’s objections. If anyone could give them an opening to be together, it would be her, and they knew it. They went to her after Kiya had gone hunting (even though she was of an advanced age) and after Vanille had gone to bed. Fang didn’t want to have to wait until she became the huntmistress herself to be able to sleep with Polla. Kiya had a case, being both a Yun and Fang’s grandmother, but Vanille was just concerned about her friend.  
“If it’s what the two of ya really want, I can arrange for ya to get away together. Alone. Kiya won’t like it, but I have the power,” Chloe told the two teens.  
“We’ve wanted this for a long time. At least I have,” Fang purred.  
“I have chocobos. I can secure a pair for ya. N’ I can keep Kiya and the other Yuns busy so they can’t stop it. The two of ya can leave the village then, and do whatever ya need to. Just one thing Polla? Be careful. I don’t care what the two of ya do, just one thing and that’s do not get Fang pregnant yet. The two a ya’re fourteen, n’ she’s not ready. We’re Yuns, not beasts. She’s a hunter n’ she needs to do her job, least ‘til ya get married. Fang has a kid, botha ya’re screwed,” Chloe warned.  
Fang growled. “Ya think I’m that stupid? I’m not fertile right now! I keep tracka that, just like the other girls! Do ya think I’m some kinda sick slut like Dia Starr who only wants a boy for his seed?” She hissed.   
“No, but I know how it is ‘tween two hormonal teens. I was a reckless kid in love once, n’ nine months later I had my Amalia. N’ that was ‘fore I was ready to have kids. At least I was married by the time I had Polla.”  
Polla kissed Fang. “I told ya my mum was the way to go! We’re gonna get to make love, n’ it’s gonna be so good!” He cried.  
“Yeah. I hope we can get outta the village ‘fore Vanille notices and gets Gramma Kiya again,” Fang said.  
“That bleedin’ heart Dia brat needs to get the concept that we’re together, n’ we’re not hurtin’ her, n’ this is really none of her damn concern to begin with,” Polla growled.  
“Be nice, Polla. She’s just worried ‘bout me. Ya know she cares ‘bout me. Truth be told, I am scared. What if it’s no good? What if we’re not meant to be a pair? I’m gonna give myself to ya, ya hafta realize that. I’m givin’ ya a lot,” Fang said.  
“I’m givin’ myself to ya too.”  
“What if I’m wrong n’ I am fertile n’ I have a kid?”  
“Fang, ya said ya were keepin’ track of yer periods n’ everythin’ like ya were taught. Don’t worry ‘bout it. Ya get pregnant, I’ll take care of ya, I promise. Ya want to have kids someday anyway.”  
“Not when I’m a kid myself!” Fang exclaimed. “Polla, I know if it happens ya’d love me n’ take care of me, but the thought scares me. I don’t know anythin’ ‘bout kids. I have a younger brother n’ I help take care of him, but my parents died when I was little. I don’t know how to be a mom. Yer mom is right, we gotta be careful so I don’t get pregnant. Amber says there’re some leaves that are known to keep girls from bein’ fertile.”  
“Yer considerin’ contraception? Fang, ya know we don’t believe in that. Well, maybe some a’ the Dias do, but the less of ‘em the better I say. My mum says that the only effective means of keepin’ yerself from unwanted pregnancy is to track yer cycles like most girls do. We’re not reckless, we’d be careful. N’ even if we did have kids, we’re gonna get married anyway. N’ Yuns are good parents, ‘specially the girls, ya should know that. Robust ‘nuff that they have very few problems, n’ they’re wonderful nursers, n’ they have lotsa maternal instinct. Ya’d be fine,” Polla said.  
“I’m fourteen so I don’t have the hips yet, I have small breasts, n’ I’m a tomboy,” Fang said. “We gotta be careful.”  
“We’re gonna be careful. If yer really that worried, I can pull outta ya early,” Polla said.  
Vanille couldn’t sleep, and couldn’t help but overhear. She didn’t like what she was hearing, but if she told on Fang again, she didn’t know whether she could save the friendship. On the other hand, Fang could get hurt. And there was the simple fact that Yun Chloe was part of this too, and as the Huntmistress she could make things happen even if the rest of the clan was against it. She decided there was little she could do besides let things happen. Everything would work out somehow, she was sure of it. Besides, if worse came to worse, Vanille was learning how to be a healer and she realized how much she’d love taking care of Fang. Fang would absolutely allow her to do it, in fact she’d accept no other helping her, not even another Yun. Polla would protest, but in the end he’d have no real say in the matter.  
Chloe watched Fang and Polla make plans, and started moving plans around to accommodate the fact that two of the Yun hunters were going to be in Archylte Steppe for a few days. Fang and Polla hadn’t told her about the secret spot, but they had begged her to allow them to go to Archylte and she had eventually agreed even though it would be a while before they could come back and resume normal hunting duties. Fang was so excited she had promised Chloe she’d bring her the head of a King Behemoth, but the Huntmistress told her to be careful and not to hunt something that dangerous without a pack to assist her.  
“Maybe I could have Dragon take Fang’s place with the Cocoon scoutin’ mission ‘round Taejin’s Tower two days from now, and I believe we have ‘nuff rations for the time, so I could move Polla and the pack’s big fishin’ trip behind few weeks from now. I need to talk to Alexis, see if he can spare one of the Tay hunters to train Flame while Fang is away if Marilla can’t do it…” Chloe said to herself, looking up dates and making necessary changes.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write this sooner, but I had a little trouble getting it right. Still doesn't feel right.  
> Contains graphic sex.

Fang and Polla rode their chocobos out across the Steppe, Fang trying to remember exactly where the secret spot was. She had to find it, she didn’t feel comfortable giving herself to Polla anywhere else, especially where they could be attacked by beasts. She remembered mostly where she had found it, but the Steppe was large, and many outcroppings looked similar.  
Polla didn’t really care where he and Fang would finally have sex, he just wanted it to happen. He couldn’t wait to have her to himself. To fill that tight, wet hole; to suckle those tender dark peaks; to hear her cry out his name.  
“There! I think that’s it!” Fang cried out, snapping Polla out of his fantasies. Fang got off her chocobo and tied its reins to a tree and felt around the wall until she found the alcove and climbed inside. “Here! C’mon!” she beckoned.  
Polla climbed into the darkness after his lover. He could almost feel her heat, even though he couldn’t see her. She was undressing, he could hear the jingle of her chains and the ruffle of her hunter garb. He started stripping down as well.  
The pair eagerly entered the water and swam through to the other side, to be greeted by the sight of the other’s full naked glory. They looked each other up and down, both very impressed.  
Fang had small breasts, but they were otherwise well formed. The nipples were erect already from the icy water. She was muscular and well built. Black curls hid her sopping wet privates from Polla’s view.  
As for Polla…Fang knew he had a big penis, but actually seeing it up close…it was easily a foot long, and so thick. Fang had no idea how he expected to fit that thing into her tight vagina. She’d have to be loosened up first.  
“It’s so big,” Fang purred, staring at Polla’s dick.   
Polla grinned. “And it’s all yers. Maker, yer so sexy. I just want to plunge into yer depths, ravage ya, make ya mine,” he said.  
“Not yet. We need to enjoy ourselves. N’ that means we have to take our time, get to know ev’ry bit of each other,” Fang said. “I’ve been dreamin’ ‘bout this for so long.”  
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to hurt ya. Best we go slowly. Bet yer tight. Can I feel it?” Polla asked.  
Fang backed off, teasing. “Not just yet. N’ don’t worry ‘bout hurtin’ me when ya take me. I ride chocobos, likely tore it years ago,” she said.  
“Aw, Fangy, yer so mean. I just want to touch yer little wet twat,” Polla whined.  
“Ya’ll get to do more than just touch it soon. Yer all limp, I want to fix that. Can’t fuck me without a nice hard dick,” Fang said.  
“Ya make me hard just by bein’ yerself, Fangy.”  
“Ya’ll love what I have in mind, I promise.”  
Fang pulled Polla against her and started kissing down his throat. The boy, delighted, wrapped his arms around her and just let her continue. He placed his own kisses on her collarbone, his fingers lightly tracing circles around her nipples.  
Fang grabbed Polla’s wrists and pinned him against the wall. Then she let go and dropped to her knees, licking her lips, getting ready for the massive length. She teased the head with her tongue, Polla let out a groan. He never imagined his girlfriend would ever do anything like this to him. He had heard much about all the sexual acts Sugar and Starr would perform on Hadi, but he thought they were just strange since the twins were Dias. He never thought Fang would go this far, and he loved her all the more for it.  
“Maker, Fang. Ya sure yer a virgin? Ya seem to know what a guy likes,” Polla moaned.  
“Just shut up n’ let me work, n’ I’ll let ya lick me ‘tween the legs later,” Fang growled right before she took Polla’s phallus into her mouth as far as she could. The only problem with it being so big was that she couldn’t handle the whole thing, but the Yun boy still seemed to enjoy it.  
Polla held Fang’s shoulders and thrust into her mouth, making sure not to choke her. The young huntress would suckle, swipe at the shaft with her tongue, and lap at the slit in the head. Polla had never felt anything so amazing. The girl was making him so hard so fast, and he couldn’t wait to find some way to make her feel as good.  
Fang was thoroughly enjoying herself as well. Polla tasted good, at least to her mind. Nice and salty, just the way the girl liked. She had licked off the bead of semen forming at Polla’s tip and absolutely couldn’t wait for more. And the boy knew how far to take it as to not make her choke on him. He was already hard, and Fang decided she could get used to it. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad marrying Polla if the sex was already this good and they had hardly done anything yet.  
Polla held Fang’s shoulders, so she was steady enough and her hands left his hips. One had went to stroke the considerable rest of his penis she couldn’t get into her mouth, while the other went to cup and play with his testicles. Fang didn’t know where she was getting these ideas, but she knew she was doing well. Clearly, Polla loved every second.  
“Goddess, Fang…get ready. I’m gonna come!” Polla screamed. Fang clamped her mouth down harder, hoping she could handle it. She liked his taste already, and she wanted more of his seed. A few more strokes of his balls, and Polla climaxed. Fang could not have prepared herself enough. Halfway through, she nearly choked and let go, and the rest of Polla’s seed ended up all over her. She swallowed what she could and laid there, catching her breath. She liked Polla, but she hated being a mess like she was.  
Polla sat down and held Fang. “Ya alright? Sorry ‘bout that. I didn’t think it would be so much,” he said, stroking her back.  
“S’alright, least ya taste good. Nice n’ salty. I hope ya liked that,” Fang said, putting her hand in the water and trying to get some of Polla’s semen off her.  
“It was incredible. If ya want to clean yerself off, go ‘head. We can continue when yer done, not that it bothers me. In fact, I find it sexy. Ya like me,” Polla said, helping Fang clean herself off.   
Once Fang had gotten enough of her partner’s essence off of her, Polla pulled her onto his lap and lowered his head to one of her small breasts, laying a kiss right on the nipple. Fang let out a hiss of pleasure. The boy’s hands squeezed and played, and he would kiss all over the hunter girl’s chest. Fang absolutely loved every moment.  
“I’m not the only one who happens to be talented,” Fang purred, petting Polla’s head as he pleasured her breasts. The hunter boy settled in and suckled her left nipple like a baby and kneaded the whole right breast in his hand. Fang kept petting him.  
Polla’s trailed his fingers down Fang’s front, tickling her, rubbing her belly, and slipping between her legs to play with her clitoris. Fang moaned and whimpered as Polla gently rubbed the little bud, his other hand still kneading her firm breast.  
Fang felt good, and Polla slid a finger against her dripping vagina, just teasing, feeling the little hole, deciding how much he’d have to loosen it up before he entered her too keep from hurting her. He dipped his finger inside, eliciting the most beautiful sounds from the girl. It was warm, and very wet. She was excited, and ready for more, her hips gently rocking against the invading digit. She had spent long nights with her own fingers dreaming about a man doing it to her.  
Polla thrust his finger in and out, and added two more soon after, stretching her a little. Fang was tightening around his fingers, and he switched to suckle her other nipple. She liked the boy sucking on her breasts, and she really liked his fingers working inside her.   
Polla removed his fingers and made a fist. He began rubbing Fang’s clit and pussy lips with it and she came, screaming at the top of her lungs, from someone else stimulating her for the first time. It was so much better than how she had gotten herself off so many times.  
Polla let go of Fang’s breasts and let her catch her breath. The way she had screamed when she came bothered him. “Oh my Goddess, I’m so sorry,” He said.  
“Sorry for what?” Fang asked once she could answer.  
“I hurt ya, didn’t I?”  
“No. I loved it. It was the best thing I’ve ever felt and so…intense. Hey, ya wanna make me do it again?” Fang laid down and spread her legs wide.  
Polla licked his lips and crawled in front of Fang. He pulled her lower lips open and gazed at her glistening vulva. He tried to find words, but he couldn’t. Instead he lowered his head and gave a teasing flick with his tongue, making the girl hiss and jerk back in surprise and pleasure.  
“Stay still,” Polla said, grasping Fang’s hips and holding her still so he could continue to pleasure her. The boy set to work, pushing his tongue in all the way and eating her out. The hunter girl couldn’t imagine anything feeling better. The hot, thick tongue swirling, delving, tasting, touching those special spots inside her where she ached to be touched. Filling her up completely. It didn’t take her very long to come again, spilling more of her sweetness where Polla had just cleaned it off.  
Polla pulled his tongue out of the girl and gave her pussy a few more loving licks for good measure, before he climbed on top of her and pressed against her. He was simply throbbing, he couldn’t wait any more. “Ya sure ya want this? We don’t have to do this now, ya know,” he said.  
Fang grinned and guided his tip to her slit. “Yeah, I really want it. I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout it over n’ over. The thought consumes me. I need ya inside me, please,” she said.  
“Since ya asked so nicely…” Polla said, before he slowly eased himself into her, having a little trouble squeezing in since she was so tight and he didn’t want to hurt her, but if Fang was in pain she wasn’t showing it, she was just accepting more and more of him into her. He managed to push almost his entire length into Fang’s virgin vagina, and she just laid there and smiled at him.  
“Doesn’t this hurt?” Polla asked incredulously.  
“It does a little, but I knew it would. Just best to get past it. I’ve felt worse, actually. It pinches, but as I said, I ride chocobos and musta broke it years ago,” Fang said.  
“Wow. I could never be so brave. I’d be screamin’ n’ screamin’,” Polla said.  
“Shut up and fuck me hard.”  
Polla slammed into Fang, and the girl started howling, first from Polla taking her so hard and then from pleasure. Didn’t take long for the boy to get to the edge of orgasm.  
“Faaaaaaaaaaaannnnggg…gonna come,” Polla wailed. Fang wrapped her legs around him, holding him inside her. “Wait, arncha worried ‘bout gettin’ knocked?”  
“Hell no. I’m a Yun, ya know. Ya said so yerself, Yuns ‘r good moms,” Fang said, her hormones taking over her better judgment.  
Polla came hard into Fang, and she herself followed a moment later. The two laid there, looking into each other’s eyes. Fang smirked, and Polla nuzzled her.  
“That was insane. We gotta do that again,” Fang said.  
“I can’t do it again tonight. I am tapped out,” Polla said. “But when we get married, we can do it ev’ry night.”  
“I can’t wait that long! We gotta do this ev’ry chance we get! It’s awesome! N’ it’s good for us, Amber told me sex is healthy, not that she felt it was a good idea for us to do it at our ages either.”  
Polla pulled out of Fang slowly and collapsed next to her, falling asleep almost instantly. Fang grabbed a sharp rock and crawled over to the wall. She struggled to stand and started carving. Then she curled up as far from the water as she could get and fell asleep herself.  
And the word she had carved: Oerba Yun Fang and Oerba Yun Polla, Forever.


	18. Chapter 18

Needless to say, Vanille was not surprised to find that Fang and Polla had disappeared during the night. She was sure Chloe had something to do with it, but as a kid herself she couldn’t say anything to the woman. So she stayed to her own family. Amber was teaching her how to be a healer using Starr as practice. Of course Vanille wasn’t allowed to touch her sister, but she had to closely watch her aunt examine the girl. Starr was terrified. Most Dias were smaller than members of the other clans, even those of the same age group, and many had trouble giving birth. Most of the Oerban women who died in childbirth were Dias. Being a Tay, Maryanne had never had any problem. Unlike the Dias, Tays were very good mothers, almost as good as the Yuns.  
“Lavender is so lucky. She takes after Mom,” Starr hissed. Sugar sat with her, not wanting to be separated from her twin even in Amber’s capable hands.   
“We’ll pull ya through, Starr. I promise,” Amber said. “Everythin’ seems normal, least now. If ya got any questions, I can tell ya.”  
“How come you only had one kid yourself, Aunt Amber?” Vanille asked, “I mean, you know so much ‘bout kids yet you’ve only got one son.”  
“That’s not what I meant, Van, but I’ll tell ya. I’m not like yer mother. I am a Dia, n’ I’m small. Flower was big, I had trouble. I never was able to have any more children ‘cause of that, so I content myself by helpin’ the other girls with their babies,” Amber said, her head against Starr’s tummy, trying to listen for the heartbeat.  
“Why ya so keen on learnin’ all this dealin’ with Starr? There’s other girls what ain’t our sister,” Sugar said.  
“I hafta learn it soon. Fang disappeared with Polla, n’ I know they went off to sleep together. Maybe she’ll have kids soon,” Vanille said.  
“I taught Fang how to track her cycles, n’ Yuns have their own healers,” Amber said, running her hands across Starr to try to relax her. “However, I taught ya how to track ‘em too, Starr, n’ that didn’t stop anythin’.”  
“Yeah, we know how to do it. Me n’ Starr both wanted to get pregnant on purpose. Ever since we been sleepin’ with Hadi we been tryin’ to have kids,” Sugar said.  
That shocked and appalled poor unsuspecting Amber. “What is wrong with ya? Yer Dias, yer kids yerselves! That’s incredibly wrong! I’m gonna have a talk with the Gai’ama Huntmaster ‘bout this! Yer ten times more likely than a Yun or Tay to have complications right off the bat, bein’ Dias, n’ at yer age…Starr, ya could die! Don’t that bother ya?!”  
“Ya said ya could pull me through, Aunt Amber!” Starr cried.  
“I’ll do everythin’ in my power, but yer still kinda dumb. As for ya, Sugar, ya better stop tryin’ to get knocked, at least for another few years. Yer both too young! And to a Gai’ama, who are much bigger than ya!” Amber snapped. Vanille hugged Amber’s arm, shocked to hear her aunt yelling like that. Amber was usually calm and collected.  
“Least it wasn’t a Tay…or a Yun,” Sugar said.  
“Doesn’t change the fact yer puttin’ yerself in this kinda danger. To botha ya, n’ to any baby ya make with Hadi. I don’t wanna lose any of my nieces, Sugar. This clan already lost so much, n’ I don’t know what I’d do if anythin’ happens to anyone else I care ‘bout,” Amber said.  
“Aunt Amber, can I go play?” Vanille asked.  
“Not yet. I’m not finished with yer sister here. Ya need to watch what I’m doin’, ‘specially if yer gonna ever be a Dia midwife.”  
Vanille sat and watched, even though she didn’t really want to. She told her family time and again that she wanted to be a hunter, not a healer. Amber had taken it upon herself to make sure the girl learned how to heal, but she was well aware that her darling niece didn’t like it. Vanille hoped Fang would come home soon so they could resume her training.  
“Okay. As I said, Starr, ev’rythin’ looks good for now. Keep takin’ care of yerself, n’ if anythin’ seems wrong, come see me. I’ll check on ya again in three weeks. N’ remember, if ya got any questions just ask me or one of the other healers,” Amber said.  
“Aunt Amber, can I play yet?” Vanille asked again.  
“Who ya gonna play with, Vanille? Yer Yunnie girlfriend vanished, nobody else plays with ya,” Sugar said.  
“Sugar, be nice. N’ don’t let any of the Yuns catch ya callin’ them that. Ya know they consider it racist or somethin’. Vanille has other friends, doesn’t she?” Amber asked.  
“Well…not really,” Vanille muttered. Amber looked upset, so Vanille tried to reassure her that she would be alright. “But I can play by myself! Honest I can, Aunt Amber! It’s a lot of fun!”  
“That’s not right. Everyone needs to have friends. Flower likes ya, why doncha play with him? He’s such a good boy.”  
“That’s exactly the problem, Aunt Amber. He’s a boy. At her age, Vanille wants girl friends. She ain’t likely gonna be interested in boys for ‘bout another year. We’re special. We liked boys all along!” Starr said.  
“Vanille is a good girl. She’d never do anythin’ with a boy until she’s married,” Amber said, picking up her supplies and putting them back in her bag. She had other appointments, being the top healer in Oerba, and if Vanille really didn’t want to watch, Amber didn’t think she could really force her to help with someone who wasn’t her own sister. “As for ya, Vanille, ya can go play, just stay within the village n’ within sighta one of the adults, ya hear me? I don’t want to hafta get the Honour Guard n’ mount a rescue just ‘cause my niece vanished not wantin’ to listen to me,” she added.


	19. Chapter 19

Memories of Long Forgotten  
Fang and Polla wanted to head home, and luckily their chocobos were still tied up where they had left them. Fang had worried they’d get eaten by monsters during the night and she’d have to explain herself to Chloe, but they were fine.  
“Fang, can’t we just do it again once more before we go home?” Polla asked.  
“We’ll have sex again tonight, once we stop to rest,” Fang said happily.  
Their journey home started out normally, but even before they left the Steppe, they started hearing unusual cries in the distance. They weren’t sure, but it sounded human. They had to investigate, maybe someone was hurt!  
The pair headed towards the direction the voice was coming from, and in a clearing was a young woman trying to run from a King Behemoth. Fang’s thirst for vengeance rose again and she charged, spear in hand, at the beast. Polla stopped his chocobo and readied his crossbow, taking careful aim with a poison-tipped bolt.  
Fang could not be stopped. She leapt off her chocobo as soon as she got close enough and landed right on the behemoth’s back. The creature tried to throw her so it could kill her, but she managed to hold on long enough to jam her spear into its back. This only served to make the monster angrier and try harder to throw her, blood spraying everywhere, especially when Fang pulled her spear out and stabbed it again.  
Polla hesitated with his bow, worried he’d accidentally shoot Fang. This must’ve been what every hunting trip after his father died had felt like for his mother, he realized. Chloe was still so afraid she’d shoot someone else she never hunted again. Fang was still leaping all around, stabbing the hell out of the behemoth.  
Finally Fang managed to ram her spear into the behemoth’s head and the beast fell. Polla put his bolts away and went to his girlfriend to see if she was hurt. Fang was merely exhausted, but incredibly pleased with herself. She had finally taken down a King Behemoth, and she had done it herself.  
The young woman stepped forward and the two Yun hunters got a good look at her. She didn’t look like anyone from Oerba. She had very fair skin, like many or the Dias, but instead of red hair she had blue. Neither Fang nor Polla had ever seen anyone with blue hair.  
“Thank you. I got separated from my husband and I accidentally woke that monster up. I was sure I was going to die,” The girl said.  
“Yer just lucky we were here!” Polla said.  
“Never seen anyone like ya before,” Fang said, looking the woman over.  
“My name is Janie. I’m from Cocoon, but my husband was part of a scouting party out here, and I came with him. I sure hope he’s okay,” The woman said.  
“I’m Oerba Yun Polla n’ this firecracker is my fiancée, Oerba Yun Fang,” Polla said.  
“COCOONIE BITCH!” Fang screamed, grabbing her spear and advancing on Janie.  
“Fang! Stop it! She isn’t hurtin’ anyone! I’m sorry, we’ve both suffered from people from Cocoon. We can take ya back to our village. We can ask the hunters to come look for yer husband. We don’t like people from Cocoon, but I promise the villagers won’t hurt ya if we just explain it. I mean, ya seem pretty harmless, at least as far as I see,” Polla said.  
“I think yer makin’ a big mistake Polla. N’ ‘sides, havin’ her with us? We’ll have no privacy ‘til we get back to the village, dammit,” Fang growled.  
“We can’t just leave her out here. Monsters will get her,” Polla said.  
“Polla, can ya c’mere for a second?” Fang asked, pulling her boyfriend aside. “I say let the monsters have her! What the hell ya thinkin’ tryin' to get her to come with us? Ya sweet on her? She’s a Cocoon bitch, Polla, n’ ‘sides, she’s married n’ yer with me! Doncha know what Cocoonies do to us? Ya hate Clan Dia, n’ they're Oerban, how can ya not hate Cocoonies?” she whispered, stealing nasty glances at the other woman.  
“She’s just a girl, Fang. Prolly not much older than yer sister Marilla. N’ she’s unarmed n’ ‘lone. N’ I’m not certain, but it looks like she’s expectin’. Out here, I have a strong suspicion somethin’ prolly ate her hubby already. I mean, we hadn’t come when we did, that behemoth woulda ate her. N’ she might be useful in our fight. Rule number one of combat, know yer enemy,” Polla whispered.  
“Alright! Fine! Ya can come with us, but ya cause any trouble, n’ I’ll kill ya without a second thought!” Fang snapped.  
“I promise I won’t do anything bad! I don’t’ even have a weapon! Could you help me find my Jason too? I worry about him,” Janie said.  
“Prolly got eated already,” Fang said.  
“Fang, knock it off! Ya hafta excuse Fangy. We’ve heard lotsa bad stories ‘bout Cocoon n’ its people from our relatives, but we’ve never actually met someone from there. My mother is the leader of our clan, I can persuade her to do things. When we get back home to our village, we’ll get some of our huntin’ packs out here to look for yer husband, we promise,” Polla said.  
“I thank you. Both for saving our lives and for your kind offer. I really hope you can find my husband. As you may be able to tell, I’m going to have a child, and I don’t want to raise him or her alone,” Janie said.  
Fang growled, but she sheathed her spear. “Polla, ya really owe me for this,” she snapped. She cut as much meat from the behemoth as she could carry (and the head, to present to Chloe as promised) and got back on her chocobo, but Polla helped Janie onto his and walked beside them. “Y’know, I am mad at ya, but if ya really want to ride, ya could ride with me. It’s a long walk home,” she added.  
“It’s okay, I need the exercise anyway,” Polla said. Fang rolled her eyes. He’d change his mind, she was sure of it.


	20. Chapter 20

Vanille was bored. She missed Fang, nobody else would play with her, and Horn and Amber were always so busy. Her other siblings were no fun or too old to play. Lavender and Sorrel both were married and had children and Starr of course was expecting her first. Vanille didn’t even have a dog to play with, and she had told Sorrel several times she would help him train the Three-Tailed Hound puppies if he’d just let her but he didn’t think she was able to.  
The girl wandered outside the village to practice her magic. Her healing spells were coming along nicely, but she also liked Black Magic. She had seen the mages practice it all the time. Thunder, Fire, Blizzard…the list went on. She found them all fascinating, and Clan Dia did produce excellent mages even though the healers were most common. Mages could also be hunters or artisans mostly, but sometimes all they did was entertainment. Performing magic tricks to amuse children, maybe. Vanille wanted to have more use than that if she decided to learn Black Magic. She knew first though, she’d have to have someone teach her how to focus it so she didn’t hurt someone.  
Vanille sat and watched a few of the young hunters practice, playing with some Ice magic a little bit. She wanted Fang to come home, she wanted to go out in the field but she had promised her aunt and uncle she’d stay near the village. She had to make sure the hunters didn’t hurt themselves in their play, and if they did she would heal them. They knew she was there, Yun Kiba kept stealing looks at her. He was practicing with three Tay hunters. Vanille was afraid of Kiba, but she didn’t think he’d try any of his idiocy with other hunters around as witnesses even if the other boys were Tays.  
“Hey, Dia girl! Vanille, right? Haven’t seen ya out here for a while. Waitin’ for Fangy to come back so ya can play with ‘er? I think she’ll be back soon doncha worry!” Kiba called out. He could be nice when he wasn’t drunk.  
“Don’t bother with her, Kiba. She’s a Dia who wants to be a hunter. Dia girls aren’t s’posed to be hunters! They’re meant to be healers, but noooo Vanille thinks she’s meant to be a hunter!” One of the other hunter boys teased.  
“Just ‘cause yer a Tay don’t mean ya get to tease the Dias and particularly not Vanille! She once singlehandedly killed a bear!” Kiba shot back.  
“Ya Yuns think yer the bloomin’ police of Oerba, dammit.”  
Vanille laid back on the ground and decided to watch the sky instead. If the boys were going to cause problems, she’d just ignore them and watch the clouds. She didn’t even notice when Kiba decided to go back to the village. The Tay boys whispered amongst each other, but Vanille was focused on the sky.  
“Hey Dia! Do ya really wanna learn how to hunt? We’re goin’ out in the field to get some big game, n’ we could use a healer,” One of the Tay boys called.  
“Ya really think we need her, Sorin? We could go back to town n’ get Abby if we really needed a healer,” One of the other boys said.  
“Oh yeah, we can’t do it without the Dia, can we TJ?” Sorin asked the last boy.  
“That’s right Sorin. Can’t do it without the Dia,” TJ said.  
“I have a name, Sorin. My name is Vanille, and you’d do well to remember it!” Vanille snapped.  
“Right, right. Vanille. Well, ya wanna go out with us n’ hunt? Doncha worry ‘bout getting’ into trouble with the others. We’re adults, we won’t letcha get hurt,” Sorin said.  
“I’d hafta ask Uncle Horn. Aunt Amber said I hafta stay near the house,” Vanille said.  
“Vanille, Vanille, Vanille…I already told ya we’re adults. Ya won’t get in trouble. If Horn or Amber ask later we’ll tell them where ya were. It’ll be fine,” Sorin said.  
“Alright! Hey, where’d Kiba go? Wasn’t he with you?” Vanille asked.  
“Oh yeah. That Yunnie prolly got bored n’ went home to pester my sister again,” TJ remarked.  
“Don’t talk badly ‘bout the Yuns!” Vanille yelled, starting to follow the boys out into the field. She found it strange that three Tay boys had not only spoken directly to her, but asked her to be their healer. She figured it was because her mother was a Tay, but she wasn’t completely sure.  
Sorin whispered something to TJ, who nodded. Vanille didn’t like the looks they were giving her, but she dismissed it. They were Tays, she was a Dia, it was only natural. She followed them closely as they went outside the village, happy to at least be a part of a pack even if it wasn’t with Fang.  
“Hey Sorin? Where are we goin’? This isn’t the way to the huntin’ grounds,” Vanille said after a while.  
“We’re not goin’ to the usual huntin’ grounds. Robbie and I found a really cool place full of awesome monsters last week. We’re goin’ there to hunt,” Sorin said. The other boy nodded.  
That interested Vanille. Maybe finally she could have a real adventure. “Awesome monsters? Like what?”  
“Nothin’ we’ve ever even seen. That’s why we need a healer. They might be tough, can’t take chances. Even though we will prolly be okay. Us men should be ‘nuff to take on anythin’, we’re Tays after all, the strongest clan in all of Gran Pulse!” Robbie exclaimed proudly.  
“Oh, don’t think I know nothin’ ‘bout Tays, guys. My mother was a Tay, you know n’ I have some Tay relatives still. I don’t remember Mom, but Uncle Horn says she had the lightest, prettiest blonde hair he had ever seen, n’ she was clever n’ strong, but she’d never hurt anyone. N’ she loved my father n’ all her children dearly. Had to love kids, I imagine. I mean, she had nine,” Vanille said.  
“Maryanne was a good woman,” Sorin agreed. “Can’t b’lieve that those Tay hunters could take her n’ Rage out like that. She was one of their own! We’d never hurt a fellow Tay!”  
Robbie and TJ were at Vanille’s side in a flash. “However,” Robbie growled, “yer not a Tay.”  
TJ threw Vanille down and kicked her in the head. Once the girl was unconscious, they began dragging her off. They had no intent on killing her, but what they planned was much worse.


	21. Chapter 21

Vanille woke up tied to a tree. She didn’t recognize the area, but she knew it couldn’t be too far from the village. She wondered how long she had been out, she wondered if any of the adults wondered where she had gotten off to. Her legs were bound spread, and she was stripped nude, and she really worried about that. She knew the three Tay boys had tricked her, and she felt rather stupid for allowing them to. She, better than anyone, knew that some of the Tays enjoyed tormenting the Dias and shouldn’t have trusted them without anyone else around. She also knew what was likely to happen with the way she was bound. Some of the older Dia girls had warned her about this.  
“So the Dia brat is finally awake,” Sorin said. All three of the boys were nearby.  
“When the hunters find us, you’re gonna get kicked outta the village if you don’t lemme go now!” Vanille yelled. She tried her hardest to break the ropes binding her, but she couldn’t.   
“The hunters ain’t gonna find us, Dia. Robbie n’ I know this area, not many of them like to hunt here. Nothin’ big ‘nuff for them. Perfect place to have some fun with a Dia slave,” TJ said.  
“I am not a slave! Alexis will never stand for this!” Vanille cried.  
“Shut yer trap!” Sorin snapped, walking over and slapping Vanille across the face. “We’re gonna keep ya here fer a long time. Yer not gonna tell Alexis or anyone ‘bout what we’re gonna do to ya!’  
Vanille continued struggling, “Aunt Amber told me to stay within the sight of some of the adults, n’ she’ll send someone to find me! Maybe even Sorrel and some of the hounds! The dogs’ll be able to find us!” she yelped.   
“I told ya to shut yer trap! Maybe I’m gonna hafta hurt ya worse!” Sorin yelled, tightening the binds on the girl.  
“Ya can’t hurt her too bad, Sorin. She’s only fun if she’s conscious while we mess with her,” TJ said, walking over and kissing Vanille on the lips. His fingers trailed down to spread her lower lips, but the other boys stopped him.  
“No, we’re not here for her amusement. She’s gonna serve our purpose,” Robbie said.  
“Don’t worry. I’m not gonna be gentle,” TJ said.  
“It was my idea, so I get her first!” Sorin yelled.   
“I have bigger fingers, I’ll hurt her more if I do it first!” Robbie yelled.  
“Ya’re gonna hafta let me go sometime, n’ then I’m gonna go straight to Alexis n’ you will all be executed!” Vanille screamed.  
“No, ya won’t. We’re gonna make ya suffer, but yer not gonna remember anythin’ once we’re through with ya. TJ knows how to erase mem’ries,” Sorin said. Then he turned to the other boys. “Cut ‘er down. I have a use for that loud mouth of hers.”  
The other boys cut Vanille down, but they held her arms so she couldn’t run and forced her to the ground. Sorin took off his pants and presented his erection to Vanille.  
“Ya’re attractive, feel honoured,” Robbie hissed.  
“Yer gonna suck this. N’ if ya bite it or I don’t like it, Robbie n’ TJ will cut yer nips off!” Sorin yelled, pressing his member against Vanille’s lips. The girl had no choice, held as she was. She obeyed, crying.   
“I call her pussy once yer done,” TJ said. “She’s twelve, she’s a virgin. She’s tight as Hell.”  
“Hey! Why do ya get her next? It was my idea to bring her out here!” Robbie yelled.  
“Botha ya can have her. At the same time. That way it’s fair,” Sorin said, holding Vanille’s head to him by her hair. “Just not right now. I need her focused on me.”  
There was a blue blur and Sorin found himself thrown against a tree. A Three-Tailed hound tackled Robbie and Vanille, freed, blasted TJ with Thundaga until he couldn’t move. There was Fang, furious and ready to kill all three men.  
“What the Hell do ya fuckin’ Tay’s think yer doin’? Did they hurt ya, Vanille? Yer lucky I could get Dessie n’ come after ya. Amber was worried!” Fang cried, hugging her friend. Sorin tried to get back up and fight her, but Fang threw herself at him, pinning him to the tree. “If I ever catch ya near Vanille again, I swear I’ll kill ya!”  
“Stupid Yunnie! This doesn’t concern ya!” Sorin yelled.  
That did it. Fang took out a knife from her belt and held it to his throat. “I should cut ya down where ya stand, bastard. But I think I have a much better idea. The Huntmasters will forgive me once I tell ‘em what ya were doin’ to Vanille! Yer never gonna mess with another girl again!” She roared. Right before she bound him with the ropes they had been using on Vanille and once he couldn’t move, viciously castrated him with the knife.  
“That wasn’t necessary,” Vanille said, horrified. Fang glared at the other two boys, who ran like hell after what they had seen her just do to Sorin.  
“Bitch, better not bleed out,” Sorin growled.  
“Would serve ya right, rapin’ Vanille like that! Whatever. Vanille, can ya at least make him stop bleedin’? I want to present him to the Honour Guard n’ let them decide what to do with him. They’ll be a lot more merciful than I feel right now!” Fang raged.  
“Thank you Fang,” Vanille said. She sank to her knees, exhausted and traumatized. Fang scooped her into her arms.  
“C’mon, we gotta get ya back to the village. I’ll have Dessie guard this monster ‘til the Honour Guard can come pick him up. I gotta get home anyway. Polla is seein’ the Huntmasters over somethin’ we found. Ya’re not gonna believe it,” Fang said.   
“How did you ever know to come find me?” Vanille asked.  
“I wanted to tell ya all ‘bout my fun with Polla, n’ I asked Amber where ya were. She said she hadn’t seen ya for a long time now, n’ then Kiba told me ya were out in the huntin’ grounds practicin’ magic last he saw ya. So I went out there, but ya were nowhere to be found, so I had Dessie sniff ya out, n’ I’m glad I did!” Fang explained.   
Vanille cuddled into Fang and began to sob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been like, forever since I updated this. But inspiration struck and I had to write it down before I forgot it.


	22. Chapter 22

Fang brought Vanille straight to Amber when they got back to the village, knowing she’d need healing and comfort, and then went to the Honour Guard to explain the situation to them and have them pick up Sorin. She was upset at herself. If she hadn’t decided she had to leave the village to play with her boyfriend she would’ve been able to stop the Tays from hurting Vanille in the first place. It was all her fault, at least in her mind. Everyone else knew she was the reason Vanille wasn’t harmed further and tried everything in their power to convince her.  
“Ya couldn’t have known they were gonna do that. I can hardly believe it myself. I know those guys, n’ they never acted like that. We were huntin’ together earlier n’ they showed absolutely no interest in Vanille,” Kiba said. Fang was laying on her bed, face down in a pillow. Nobody was sure but she might have been crying.   
“Ya’re never gonna hunt with ‘em again. Ya’re lucky if we ever see ‘em again. Alexis hit the roof when he heard n’ just banished the lotta ‘em fer good fer what they did,” Abby, a Tay healer and Kiba’s girlfriend, said. “Just wish one a ‘em hadn’t been my brother.”  
Polla had gone straight back to his mother when they had gotten home to show them Janie and see if she was allowed to live with them, but when Fang had come home with Vanille in her arms, he decided to forget about the Huntmasters’ verdict on the Cocoon girl and comfort his fiancée. He sat down on the bed next to Fang and stroked her hair.   
“It’s not yer fault Vanille got hurt, n’ if ya hadn’t been there it woulda been much worse. Ya saved her,” Polla said. “Nobody blames ya, n’ they even overlooked what ya did to Sorin, which, might I add, was an act of true justice in my eyes.”  
“Wow, ya actually called her by name insteada yer classic ‘bleedin’ heart Dia brat’ line,” Kiba said.  
“Jus’ ‘cause I don’t like ‘er don’t mean she deserved that. Nobody deserves what happened to her. N’ Fangy, it’s not yer fault n’ in fact yer a heroine. The Honour Guard is talkin’ ‘bout promotin’ ya to their ranks once there’s an openin’!” Polla said.  
Fang looked at him. Her eyes were red, she had been crying. “I don’t wanna be on the Honour Guard, I just want Vanille to be okay,” she said, sniffling.  
“If ya hadn’t gotten to her when ya did, Vanille woulda been broken beyond repair. Amber told me Vanille’s physical virginity is still intact. But Maker, why did it have to be TJ? He was my only brother,” Abby said.  
“Oerba Tay Abigail…” Kiba warned.  
“Just leave me ‘lone, the lotta ya!” Fang yelled.  
“Fine by me, but I really think ya should consider the Honour Guard position. I’ll be back later. I gotta go check on Janie anyway,” Polla said. He turned to Kiba and Abby. “Wait ‘til ya guys meet ‘er. She’s like nothin’ we’ve ever seen ‘fore.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Janie sat on a bed, the huntmasters asking her all kinds of questions. What she was doing outside of Cocoon? Were she and her husband alone? Was there going to be an attack? The girl tried to answer, but she was upset, even though one of the Dia healers was standing by to attend to her should anything happen because she was pregnant.  
“Talla, ya sure ya should be here? We have Gai’ama and Tay healers, n’ the way Rage’s youngest daughter was brought in, I ‘magine Amber might need help,” Gai’ama Huntmaster Whitetail asked the healer girl.  
“Yeah, I asked ‘bout it. She’s got other healers helpin’ her, she said I was free to assist with this, n’ ya know Dias are the best healers,” Talla said.  
“Are ya sure yer alone? Ya better not be lyin’ to us or else. I just had to banish three of my own, so ’m not feelin’ very merciful today,” Alexis asked Janie.  
“Why would I lie? We weren’t doing anything wrong! It was just me and my husband. He was scouting and I didn’t want to be left alone. We didn’t expect to get separated and attacked,” Janie said. “By the way, has anyone gone searching for him? I worry about him.”  
“In Archylte Steppe? Alone? We need whole packs when we go out there ourselves. Fang n’ Polla only got out there together ‘cause they’re full hunters n’ know how to defend themselves against the beasts. I’m sorry, ya’re not gonna see him ‘gain. Somethin’ surely got him by now,” Chloe said. Janie buried her face in her hands and started to cry.   
The huntmasters waited a few minutes to allow her to collect herself before they asked more questions. “Scoutin’? Like lookin’ fer an openin’ so yer lot can attack us?” Alexis asked.  
“No, nothing like that! Cocoon is getting overpopulated. We didn’t have permission to have children and I got pregnant. I didn’t want to have to have an abortion or something, so Jason said we should try and find a new place to live where we could have a family in peace. Neither one of us thought the monsters would be as powerful as they are,” Janie said.  
“Very well, it seems to be a valid reason. Ya can stay with us, but ya gotta obey our rules. Ya gotta take on a clan name n’ find a profession. I imagine ya could be an artisan at the very least,” Whitetail said.  
“I thank you. I will show you I am no danger. I am grateful to the teenagers who rescued me. If I have to join with one of your clans, I wish to join theirs,” Janie said.  
“My son Polla n’ his future wife Fang. Both Yuns. Then ya will from this day on be known as Oerba Yun Janie, n’ be under my rules,” Chloe said. “Ya’re dismissed. We’ll discuss yer job n’ find ya a place later. I’ve got important things to manage right now.”  
Polla and his friends saw the tail end of the conversation, but they didn’t say anything. Janie met his eyes and smiled at him. “Where’s Fang? I want to tell her about this,” the former Cocoon girl asked.  
“I wouldn’t mess with her right now. She just found her best friend bein’ molested by some of the hunters. That’s why Alexis is so ticked off right now. Oh boy, never seen anyone so mad. They’re lucky he didn’t have them executed. Fang is convinced it’s her fault for leavin’ the village, even though it’s not, n’ she’s really upset,” Polla said.  
“Ya joined with us, that’s cool,” Kiba said.  
“We lost three Tays, includin’ my brother, and gained a Yun,” Abby added.  
“I’d say more like two Yuns,” Kiba said, looking at Janie’s middle.  
“How is Vanille?” Horn asked. “I had to attend to this, bein’ a Huntmaster, but I woulda liked to have comforted her.”  
“Amber says she’s gonna prolly remember this fer the resta her life, but physically she’s fine. Fang saved her just in time,” Abby said.


End file.
